Doctors protest in Maharashtra against rape, murder of Kolkata medical trainee

Thane (Maharashtra) [India], August 17 (ANI): Doctors in Maharashtra on Saturday protested against the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, demanding justice for the victim.

A doctor told ANI, “A law should protect on-duty doctors just as it protects police officers. If female doctors aren’t safe at work, where are they safe? Politicians should be ashamed.”

“There should be a law that, just like no one dares to harm on-duty police officers, no one should touch on-duty doctors. Such a law should be made first, and then we can talk. We work day and night for patients, without celebrating festivals, prioritizing our patients over our families. If a female doctor is not safe at her workplace, where else will she be safe? Politicians and government officials should be ashamed,” a protesting doctor said.

Another doctor said that all hospitals should provide security.

“It’s not just one person; there are many suspects. We are all medical students, doctors, and faculty members, and we understand that this is not the work of just one person. The way the pelvic girdle and clavicle were broken, it shows that it was done skilfully by someone who knew what they were doing. All hospitals should provide security, and female doctors should be protected wherever they are,” another protesting doctor said.

A third doctor said a law should be enacted to ensure the safety of female doctors, especially those working in night shifts.

“A law should be created to ensure our safety, especially for female doctors who have to work night shifts. It’s already too late, and we have suffered enough,” another doctor said.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, triggering nationwide protests by doctors and medical professionals.

On August 14, a mob entered the RG Kar Hospital campus and vandalized the protest site, vehicles, and public property, forcing security officials to disperse the crowd.