KOLKATA: While RG Kar Medical College continued to be in the eye of storm on Saturday, the anger spilled over to other medical institutes across Bengal and beyond. Messages of solidarity kept trickling in from other states too, seeking justice for the second-year PGT doctor who was brutally raped and murdered.
The 31-year-old doctor was sexually assaulted and murdered during her duty hours. The incident has sent shockwaves across the medical fraternity. Doctors and interns from several medical colleges agitated on Saturday, urging the administration to ensure their safety on campuses as well as in hostels.
Debmalya Dutta, a second-year student of NRS Medical College, said: "We marched from the hospital campus to the Moulali crossing, where we staged a stir, demanding stringent punishment for the accused. We are also demanding proper CCTV surveillance on the campus and not to put girls on night duty alone."
Dutta's classmate Md Asraf Jahangir added: "Even after the RG Kar incident, police deployment has not been increased on NRS campus. The administration needs to ensure the safety of girls when they step out of their hostels and while on night duty. Girls don't even have restrooms in the wards."
At Medical College, junior doctor Mrinmoy Mondal said: "We want justice for the victim and at the same time, we want more restrictions to be imposed on the entry of outsiders to hospital campuses."
Despite the administration's step - of asking all faculty members up to the rank of assistant professors to be present in the ward and the emergency to ensure patient services - the R G Kar campus was almost out of bounds for OPD patients due to a series of protests. Tension was palpable as police erected barricades to stop the protesters from outside from entering the hospital premises.
The protesting doctors squatted in front of the main gate shouting slogans like 'no safety, no duty'. They have decided to cease work indefinitely.
"There is a lot more in this case than what meets the eye. We suspect the involvement of more than one person in this crime and demand arrest of all the culprits within 48 hours. We also seek formation of a judicial enquiry committee to bring the truth out," said a protesting resident doctor. They also demanded a transparent inquiry, trial of the case in a fast-track court, enhanced security and better working amenities.
The protest erupted in all medical colleges across the state. Tension broke out when protesters from Medical College, the Medical Service Centre and the Joint Platform of Doctors reached the RG Kar campus. Police had a tough time in stopping them.
Protests were held at the Midnapore Medical College, Burdwan Medical College and Darjeeling District Hospital as well. All OPDs remained shut at the Burdwan hospital and elective procedures were suspended. Junior doctors at Midnapore organized a sit-in demonstration at the campus gates and services remained uninterrupted.
Solidarity also poured in from outside the state, including the Resident Doctors' Association of AIIMS, New Delhi, Safdarjung Hospital and PGI Chandigarh. Organisations like Protect the Warriors have also written to the Kolkata Police chief and CM Mamata Banerjee, seeking justice for the deceased PGT.
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