Hospital operations in several Indian cities have been disrupted after doctors’ protests spread across the country to condemn the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.
Thousands of doctors marched in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, and other cities in the state on August 12 to condemn the murder at a government-run hospital, demanding justice for the victim and better security measures.
The body of the 31-year-old intern was found inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last weekend. An autopsy revealed that she had been raped before being killed. Volunteer Sanjay Roy has been arrested in connection with the case.
The protests spread to other parts of India on August 13, with more than 8,000 doctors in Maharashtra state stopping work in all hospital departments except the emergency department, according to local media.
The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Associations called for a nationwide halt to elective services in hospitals starting August 12. “The decision to strike was not taken lightly but was necessary to ensure that our voices are heard,” the doctors’ union said in a statement.
The union said it was not only demanding a speedy trial but also calling for an investigation to determine the factors that led to the crime and urgent measures to improve the safety of doctors, especially women, in hospitals.
Emergency services remained suspended on Friday at most government-run medical colleges in Kolkata, state official NS Nigam told Reuters, adding that the government was assessing the impact on the health sector. Indian Medical Association general secretary Anil Kumar J Nayak told ANI that the association had urged Health Minister JP Nadda to beef up security at health facilities.
A Kolkata high court ordered the transfer of the criminal investigation into the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation, saying the government considered the case a national priority. The National Medical Council, which regulates medical education in India, has issued a notice to all health facilities calling for the installation of surveillance cameras in sensitive areas and adequate security personnel.
