NEW DELHI (Agencies): Thousands of doctors across India have initiated a strike, demanding enhanced protection for health workers following the tragic rape and murder of a trainee medic in West Bengal.
The body of the resident doctor, found last Friday in a seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, bore multiple injuries and signs of sexual assault, according to local police. One suspect has been apprehended.
On Monday, medical associations in various states called for doctors at government hospitals to halt all elective services indefinitely. They urged for the case to be expedited in court and for the creation of a protective committee for health workers.
Dr. Sarvesh Pandey, general secretary of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), stated, “Around 300,000 doctors nationwide have joined the protest, and we expect more to participate tomorrow.”
Images from the protests show doctors in Kolkata and Delhi holding signs that read: “Save our doctors, save our future.” In Hyderabad, doctors held a candlelight vigil.
The protesting doctors also highlighted the frequent violence and threats of physical abuse they face from angry patients or their families.
A 2015 survey by the Indian Medical Association revealed that 75% of doctors in India had experienced some form of violence, as reported by local media at the time.