The junior doctors in West Bengal resumed a total "cease work" on Tuesday to demand their safety and security at medical institutions. The doctors had been in a partial return to work after protest for 42 days, which erupted after the brutal rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The protesting doctors demanded action from the Mamata Banerjee government.
Sit-in Protests Over Doctor's Murder
Strikes became worse when the incident of a female doctor, who was raped and murdered while working, struck the campus. The assault further made the medical fraternity voice their protest vigorously on August 9. Junior doctors resumed duties on September 21, however, troubling incidents against them led the doctors to return with an even more comprehensive work stoppage. "This is the 52nd day of the protest, and we are still under attack. No concrete steps have been taken upon the assurances given during meetings with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," said Aniket Mahato, one of the protesting doctors.
Safety And Security Demand
The junior doctors reiterated that unless action from the state government is taken regarding their safety and security, the total cease work stands. In order to have better measures of protection in hospitals coupled with swift action against the perpetrators of violence, with this stance, doctors express their disappointment at the failure on the part of the government to make proper steps toward securing a safe working environment.
In the meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court allowed a rally of the Joint Platform of Doctors to take place in Kolkata protesting violence against medical professionals recently. Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj granted the rally between 5 pm and 8 pm with the police assuring proper security measures. The police had asked the court to limit the attendees and the route of the rally, but the court ruled in favor of the organizers, accepting their ability to manage their supporters peacefully.
Public Support And Participation
The JPD is the Association of Health Service Doctors in West Bengal and had estimated that approximately 50,000 would attend this rally. The police communicated that the number allowed to participate in the rally would be only 1,000, which prompted a move by the JPD into the courts of law to challenge such restrictions.
The killing of the postgraduate trainee, whose body was retrieved with grievous injuries in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College, has brought the issue of safety for medical professionals to the forefront of public discourse. With tensions high, local and national communities continue to observe the situation, hoping for a resolution for the safety of healthcare workers of West Bengal.