The nationwide protest by government hospital doctors, demanding justice for the woman postgraduate trainee (PGT) doctor who was brutally raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata last week, continued for the third consecutive day on Wednesday.
The protesting doctors are also seeking the suspension of the former Principal of RG Kar Medical College and the immediate constitution of a committee to draft a Central Protection Act (CPA) for healthcare professionals.
Demonstrations were held after the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) announced that it would continue the nationwide protest and shut down elective medical services across the country.
In a post on X, FAIMA Chairman Dr Rohan Krishnan wrote, “Our strike is going on at the moment. FAIMA expresses heartfelt gratitude to all hospitals participating in the strike and congratulates them for continuing the protest fearlessly.”
“We request Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to implement the Central Protection Act for healthcare workers,” he said.
Several government hospitals, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, also witnessed demonstrations demanding justice for the victim and the implementation of the CPA.
The AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association held a demonstration on its campus. Earlier, they had demanded the immediate transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the resignation of responsible authorities at RG Kar Medical College, adequate compensation for the victim, and the implementation of the Central Protection Act.
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered a CBI inquiry into the RG Kar incident.
In a post on X, the AIIMS RDA wrote, “The AIIMS RDA will continue their indefinite strike, which includes suspending academic activities, elective OPDs, ward services, and OT services. However, emergency services, ICUs, and emergency OTs will remain operational.”
“The AIIMS RDA and other RDAs will continue the strike until they receive a complete assurance of safety and security for doctors nationwide through strict laws, specifically the Central Protection Act,” it said.
Doctors at Safdarjung Hospital also staged a protest. Holding placards, they shouted slogans demanding justice for the victim and the implementation of the CPA.
“Day 3 of the strike and agitation at VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital against the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, and the fight for the Central Protection Act to ensure the safety of healthcare workers nationwide,” the RDA Safdarjung Hospital wrote in a social media post.
Earlier, FAIMA wrote to Union Health Minister JP Nadda regarding the matter.
In its letter, FAIMA stated, “We, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), are deeply shocked, heartbroken, and outraged by the tragic and horrifying incident at RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata, where a doctor on duty was brutally raped and murdered. This heinous crime exposes the alarming lack of security on our hospital premises. What happened in Kolkata today could happen anywhere else tomorrow.”
The medical fraternity has long been subjected to escalating assaults in hospitals across the nation, and this latest incident is a tragic reminder of the grave dangers faced by healthcare professionals, it said.
“We request the immediate constitution of a committee to draft a CPA for healthcare professionals, and that the former Principal be suspended rather than transferred to another college,” it said.
It may be mentioned that the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), after meeting the Health Minister on Tuesday, called off the strike it had announced over the matter.
“In response to the tragic incident at R G Kar, our demands have been fully met by JP Nadda, with concrete steps taken rather than mere verbal assurances. The demand for the ratification of the Central Healthcare Protection Act has been accepted, and a committee has been constituted for this purpose. In the larger interest of our patients and the public, we will resume our services,” the FORDA wrote in a post on X.