NEW DELHI: Indian doctors in government hospitals across several states halted elective services “indefinitely” on Monday to protest the rape and murder of a young medic.
The 31-year-old woman’s brutalised body was found bearing multiple injuries on Friday in a state-run hospital in West Bengal’s Kolkata, where she was a resident doctor.
A subsequent autopsy confirmed sexual assault and homicide.
Police have detained a man who worked at the victim’s hospital helping people navigate busy queues, according to local media reports.
Demonstrations by doctors demanding justice and better workplace security that initially began in Kolkata have now spread to other parts of the country.
Sexual violence against women is a widespread problem in India - an average of nearly 90 rapes a day were reported in 2022 in the country of 1.4 billion people.
But doctors say they face additional threats of workplace violence from angry family members of patients, especially after delivering bad news.
“There should be stringent security measures in hospitals and CCTV cameras should be installed,” said Sarvesh Pandey, from the Federation of Resident Doctors Association.
Pandey added that the protesting doctors’ demands included a specialised law protecting healthcare workers from violence on the job.
“There are incidents every day where doctors are assaulted,” said Pandey.
300,000 join strike
Meanwhile, Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) on Monday launched a nationwide strike as they gathered outside various hospitals across the country, demanding justice for the trainee-doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.
The doctors gathered outside the Lok Nayak Hospital, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi and several hospitals across the country and hurled slogans, demanding justice for the victim.
Speaking with ANI, the FORDA General Secretary, Sarvesh Pandey said that around 300,000 doctors across the county have joined the protest and demanded that others would join as well. He futher informed that they will continue their strike indefinitely till their demands are fulfilled.
“We will continue our strike until we get a written assurance that our demands will be fulfilled” Dr Sarvesh Pandey, said.
The doctors are demanding a CBI inquiry of the case, a fast-track court and the formation of a committee for the implementation of the Central Protection Act in all hospitals.
FORDA India president Dr Aviral Mathur said, “...Everyone should condemn this incident. Yesterday, we issued a notice under FORDA for a nationwide strike where we demanded a few things...We will call off the strike when our demands are addressed as we don’t want the patients to suffer. The emergency services are going on for the convenience of patients...Our organisation is constantly in touch with the ministry. We have full faith that our demands will be fulfilled.”
A doctor protesting at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia listed out the doctor’s demand and said, “We have three main demands.
3 demands
First, a CBI fast-track investigation because the State Government’s investigation is very biased. They want to nab any innocent and silence us. But we won’t let this happen. This is a gang rape and murder, committed by 2-3 people. This is Nirbhaya part 2. Second, the insensitive authorities of RG Kar which is issuing statements like ‘what was the girl doing alone at night’ when this happened in the doctors’ duty room, be permanently removed. Third, the Central Protection Act be implemented in all hospitals across India.”
Earlier, the Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, Prof. (Dr.) Sandip Ghosh offered his resignation from his post. The protesting doctors had called for his sacking.
“I am getting defamed on social media...The deceased doctor was like my daughter. As a parent, I resign...I don’t like that this should happen to anyone in future,” Sandip Ghosh told reporters as he left the hospital
Meanwhile, three junior doctors and one house staff have been summoned by Kolkata police Headquarters, Lalbazar. They were on duty on the night of the incident said Kolkata Police sources. The tragic incident, which occurred on August 9, has led to widespread outrage and protests.
A survey by the Indian Medical Association found 75 per cent of doctors in India had faced some form of violence.
