Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: Doctors Protest At Jantar Mantar On Day 10, Demand Better Workplace Safety

Resident doctors staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday, marking the 10th day of their indefinite strike over the alleged rape and murder of a medic in a Kolkata hospital."It's very important to understand that we are fighting for better working conditions in our own workplace," one of the protesting doctors said.

Elective services in several government hospitals across the city have remained suspended due to the protests.Resident doctors arrived at Jantar Mantar at 11 am for the protest, marking their second gathering there after Saturday.

#WATCH | Doctors in Kolkata hold a protest demanding justice in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/JD4Id6n28a — ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2024

Slogans such as, 'Doshi ko saza do' and 'Shauk nahin, majboori hai; ye hadtal zaroori hai' echoed at the protest site as major resident doctor associations gathered to demonstrate."Not just as a doctor, but as a woman, I often feel unsafe while working. I have to be extra careful during work and constantly think about my own safety, often carrying a key or something for protection," Radhika Sharma, a doctor from Lady Hardinge Medical college, said.

"The situation is beyond us... It's a mass movement and we need protection," Sharma said, adding that this fight is very important for the doctors as they are fighting for better working conditions at their workplaces.

Another protesting doctor said, "We are thankful to the Supreme Court for recognising this as a national issue, but we are continuing the strike because we want this issue to reach a conclusion as soon as possible".

"Safety should not just be an assurance; we want a protection act, and we want it from the central government," the doctor said.

AIIMS, GTB, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated Hospitals, Maulana Azad Medical College and its associated hospitals ”have released individual statements urging participation in the silent protest.

Members of Resident Doctors' Association from major hospitals in Delhi, along with the Federation of Resident Doctors' Associations (FORDA) and the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), have been on an indefinite strike.

On Tuesday, after conducting a meeting with the RDA members, both the bodies representing the resident doctors released a statement saying they will continue with the strike until the Health Ministry takes concrete action on the issue of CPA.

On August 9, the body of the postgraduate trainee doctor was found in the seminar hall of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day. Later, the Calcutta High Court handed over the case to the CBI.