Following a meeting with representatives from the Union health ministry, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Associations reported that there was no progress made towards resolving the issue surrounding the extension of their indefinite strike in reaction to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.
In a show of protest against the sexual assault and death of a female post-graduate trainee (PGT) physician at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has called for a statewide suspension of outpatient clinic services starting on August 13.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is following the ‘Raj Dharma’. “Didi is acting like the mother of Bengal. She is also extremely sad because of this incident… Such incidents used to happen under CPI(M) regime… Under BJP rule, Unnao, Hathras, Prayagraj, Gujarat, Bilkis, MP, Manipur all of it happened one after another. This shouldn’t have happened in Bengal, but it happened. It is a social crime. The CM said on day one that the case would be handed over to the CBI if needed… The police arested the accused within 24 hours. She also said that the case will run in a fast-track court and they will try for his execution… Mamata Banerjee has given time to the police till Sunday… If there is no conclusion, then the case will be handed over to the CBI,” said the leader.
Junior physicians at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, meanwhile, questioned why West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee set a seven-day deadline for investigating the postgraduate trainee’s rape and murder on Monday. They threatened to go on strike until their demands were granted.
BMC MARD General Secretary Dr Akshay Dongardive said that the culprits of the incident should be punished, our national campaign has started for this. “This campaign is going on in all the states. Maharashtra has called for a strike from 9 AM, all the doctors of Maharashtra are going to strike work from 9 AM, and BMC doctors are also going to strike work… The victim’s family should get justice, the case should be investigated by CBI and the family should get compensation. We demand that there should be justice… We have stopped non-emergency services in all hospitals of Maharashtra, emergency services will continue. Patients will not face any problems… We only want justice,” he added.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that the CM is delaying it. “If she wants to have a CBI inquiry in this matter, she should hand it over soon as proofs in such cases do not remain for many days,” he added.
The incident occurred at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Roy, a trained boxer, became close to several senior police officers over the years, which led to his transfer to the Kolkata Police Welfare Board and his posting to the police station there.
“He had access to all departments owing to his proximity with some senior police officers and the hospital authorities. Nobody had the guts to stop his unhindered movements in and around the hospital,” the officer said.
The West Bengal government has been urged by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to ensure that those responsible for the crime face consequences and to conduct a comprehensive and unbiased investigation into the case. The IMA has also written to Union Minister JP Nadda, urging action to improve the safety of doctors—especially women—at work and requesting a thorough investigation into the circumstances that made the crime possible.
The 32-year-old woman’s semi-naked body was discovered on Thursday night in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in Kolkata. In retaliation, medical professionals called for accountability for the victim and staged a protest march under the auspices of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), PGIMER, shouting “we want justice.”
The Maulana Azad Medical College, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Institute of Human Behaviour, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College, and National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases Hospital were among the other notable hospitals in the nation’s capital that took part in the strike.
