Kolkata doctor's murder: Medicos protest in Kerala, Delhi

Doctors, post-graduate medicos and medical teachers in Kerala will hold a protest in government medical colleges across the state on Monday, 12 August, against the recent sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in a state-run hospital in Kolkata.

The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA), an association of government medical college teachers, on Sunday strongly condemned the tragic murder of the PG student and said the doctors in the southern state would protest against the gruesome incident.

"The safety of women doctors, who are part of the night duty and emergency department duty work, has always been a matter of concern," it said in a statement. It is the responsibility of the respective governments to create a safe working environment so that they can perform their work fearlessly, it said.

The association said the KGMCTA is also joining the nationwide protest by doctors' organisations demanding to ensure safety at the workplace for doctors and medicos. As part of this, medical teachers, PG doctors, house surgeons and medical students will organise protests in all government medical colleges in Kerala on Monday, Dr Rosenara Beegum, state president of the association said.

On Saturday, doctors from across the national capital held candle marches on Saturday, denouncing the murder at Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College. The candle marches, organised at various medical colleges and hospitals, saw doctors holding posters and candles and demanding a CBI inquiry into the death of the 32-year-old woman, whose semi-nude body was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital. A preliminary autopsy report has confirmed sexual abuse before she was killed.

Dr Dhruv Chauhan, the National Council Member of the Indian Medical Association's Junior Doctors Network, said the incident has raised concerns about the safety of doctors working in hospitals.

"This horrific incident has ignited widespread alarm within the medical fraternity nationwide. The fear is so intense that doctors are now concerned about performing their duties unless strict security measures are implemented," he said.

"Doctors have been demanding the strict enforcement of the Central Protection Act and increased security in the workplace. If they cannot be safe in their own hospitals and colleges, where can they be safe? How can they ensure the safety of their patients when their own lives are insecure?" he asked.

Several resident doctors' associations across Delhi, including those from Hindu Rao Hospital, L.N.J.P. Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, R.M.L. Hospital, Maulana Azad Medical College, and the Indian Medical Association have demanded an investigation into the death of the resident doctor.

"The candle march was a symbol of our collective outrage and demand for justice. We urge authorities to take swift and severe action against the perpetrators and ensure a safe environment for all. The next course of action will be decided in our upcoming meeting with all stakeholders," a spokesperson for the Federation of Residents' Doctors Association said.

The victim, a second-year student of the chest medicine department of the hospital, was on duty when she was apparently attacked and killed. Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal on Saturday asserted that the force would make sure the accused gets "the highest punishment” if found guilty.

"This is a heinous crime, and the arrested person is allegedly involved based on circumstantial evidence, including accounts of the other doctors present during night-duty hours," Goyal told a press conference in Kolkata.

"An SIT has been formed and on the basis of evidence, the person was arrested. We will see to it that he gets the highest punishment. He will be produced in court today," he said.