Doctors across several Indian states have indefinitely halted elective services in government hospitals as a protest against the rape and murder of a young female doctor. The 31-year-old resident doctor’s body was discovered on Friday at a state-run hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, bearing multiple injuries. An autopsy confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted and murdered.
The accused, who worked at the hospital assisting patients with navigating queues, has been detained by police, according to local media reports.
The brutal incident has sparked widespread outrage among the medical community, leading to protests that began in Kolkata and have now spread nationwide. Doctors are demanding justice for their colleague and calling for improved security measures in hospitals to protect healthcare workers.
Sexual violence against women is a pervasive issue in India, with an average of nearly 90 reported rapes per day in 2022. However, doctors say they face additional risks of violence in the workplace, particularly from aggrieved family members of patients who may react violently after receiving bad news.
“There should be stringent security measures in hospitals and CCTV cameras should be installed,” said Sarvesh Pandey, a representative of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association. He added that the protesting doctors are also demanding the implementation of a specialized law to protect healthcare workers from violence on the job.
“Every day, there are incidents where doctors are assaulted,” Pandey noted. A survey by the Indian Medical Association found that 75 percent of doctors in India have experienced some form of violence during their careers.
The indefinite strike by doctors is expected to severely impact non-emergency medical services across the country, as the medical community rallies together to demand safer working conditions and justice for their slain colleague. The protests have brought renewed attention to the issue of violence against healthcare workers, underscoring the urgent need for reforms to ensure their safety.
