Kolkata rape-murder case: Medical students, doctors take streets to protest

After the gruesome sexual assault and murder of a woman postgraduate trainee doctor at the state-run hospital in Kolkata, doctors and medical students across the country called for an indefinite strike on Monday to protest against the crime.

The government hospitals in Delhi commenced the indefinite strike in response to the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association's call. The hospitals include-- RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Maulana Azad Medical College, VMMC, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, GTB, IHBAS, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College, and National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases Hospital.

Doctors in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and other cities have warned to stop the elective services till the investigation in the ghastly rape and murder is completed. It is pertinent to note that elective services are those that are neither non-medically necessary nor urgent.

As per RDA, under the indefinite strike, all outpatient departments (OPDs), operation theatres (OTs), and ward duties will be closed, but emergency services will continue to operate as usual, making sure that urgent patient care remains unaffected, PTI reported.

Resident doctors have raised questions about the integrity of the ongoing probe in the case. FORDA has put forth five key demands which include CBI investigation in the case and provision of adequate compensation to the family of the deceased. It has also urged the Centre to enforce a mandated protocol for the security of healthcare workers across all hospitals.

Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's principal Sandip Ghosh resigned from his post on Monday, days after junior doctors demanded his ouster over not providing security to the staff. Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's principal Sandip Ghosh resigned from his post on Monday, days after junior doctors demanded his ouster over not providing security to the staff. Meanwhile, on Monday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee ensured to hand over the case to CBI if the police is unable to solve it by Sunday.

Earlier on Friday morning, the body of a woman postgraduate trainee, was found inside a seminar hall of the hospital. An autopsy confirmed sexual assault and murder. So far, a civic volunteer had been arrested in the case. According to the police, the accused washed his clothes after allegedly committing the crime to destroy the evidence.

The brutal and gruesome rape-murder of the trainee doctor has raised questions about workplace safety of women. Doctors across the country now demand strict norms for workplace security of doctors.