Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Health services hit in Delhi as doctors’ continue strike for eighth day

Kolkata doctor rape-murder: The doctors’ strike in the national capital over the rape and murder of a medic at a state-run hospital in Kolkata extended into its eighth day on Monday, with non-emergency services, including OPD, remaining paralysed.

Protests began on Monday evening, initially confined to medical college campuses, but by Friday, doctors had taken to the streets over the incident at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.

According to an action plan, members of resident doctors’ associations (RDA) in Delhi conducted a candlelight march from outside Gate 1 of the Rajiv Chowk Metro Station at Connaught Place. Dr Parth Mishra, vice president of UCMS and GTB Hospital RDA, said that resident doctors from various medical institutions participated in the march as discussed.

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The demonstrators, who are demanding a central law to curb violence against on-duty healthcare personnel and justice for their colleague, formed a human chain in Connaught Place Inner Circle. Efforts were also made to engage with the public to raise awareness about the incident.

Participants in the march, which concluded around 9 pm, chanted slogans in support of their demands. They held placards demanding justice for the victim, one of which read, “When the white coat turns red, society turns black”. A few children holding the tricolour were also seen in the march.

Late Sunday, resident doctors announced that their strike would continue. According to an action plan for Monday, a meeting is scheduled for 9 am in front of the GTB Hospital’s gate. Following the meeting, the doctors will head to Nirman Bhawan at 11 am, according to a joint statement by RDAs.

Dr Dhruv Chauhan, a health activist and national council member of the Indian Medical Association’s junior doctors network, alleged that some hospital administrations were threatening doctors to return to duty while they were peacefully protesting for their rights.

He questioned, “Does this mean we don’t even have the freedom to exercise our right to speech and protest as permitted by the Constitution?”

Chauhan added that if the authorities had issued as many circulars to protect doctors’ rights and security, such an incident might never have occurred.

The strike has impacted academic activities, outpatient departments (OPDs), ward services, and elective surgeries at both public and private health facilities. Essential emergency services, including Intensive Care Units (ICUs), emergency procedures, and emergency surgeries, continue to operate.

A group of distinguished Padma Awardee doctors urgently appealed to the President of India for immediate intervention following the Kolkata incident. In a letter expressing deep concern and anguish, the doctors condemned the brutal events that have shaken the medical community and the nation as a whole. The doctors said that the increasing violence against healthcare professionals, particularly women and girls, stating that “Such acts of brutality shake the very foundations of service by medical professionals.”

Also Read: Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Delhi AIIMS warns resident doctors against protest on campus

In their appeal, the Padma Awardee doctors urged law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and society to take decisive steps to ensure the safety and dignity of healthcare professionals nationwide.

On Saturday, the Union health ministry issued a statement assuring that it would form a panel to suggest measures to enhance the safety of healthcare personnel. It also mentioned that representatives of all stakeholders, including state governments, would be invited to share their suggestions with the committee. The ministry urged doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest, especially given the rising number of dengue and malaria cases.

A resident doctor from Safdarjung Hospital said that a concrete response from the government regarding the central law would have provided some relief. “However, after eight days, we are still waiting. As stated earlier, the strike will continue indefinitely until our demands are met,” the doctor said. (With inputs from PTI)