Wednesday, 01 January 2025
Wednesday, 01 January 2025
In a powerful nationwide display of solidarity, resident doctors across India held protests in response to the recent rape and murder of a fellow doctor in Calcutta. From Delhi to Bengaluru, Chandigarh to Jammu, and across West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, healthcare professionals held rallies, demanding justice and enhanced safety measures.
In Delhi, doctors from major hospitals, including AIIMS, RML Hospital, and Safdarjung Hospital, took to the streets, halting elective services while keeping emergency operations running. The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has emphasised that while outpatient departments (OPDs), operation theatres (OTs), and ward duties were suspended, critical patient care remains unaffected.
The tragic death of a woman trainee doctor, discovered in a semi-naked state at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, has ignited a nationwide outcry. The West Bengal Doctors Forum has urgently called for a transparent investigation and heightened security measures for healthcare workers. Despite chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s promise of an impartial inquiry, delays have intensified demands for a judicial probe, capital punishment for the perpetrators, and adequate compensation for the victim’s family.
Across Bangalore, doctors have joined the protest, rallying in the streets and voicing their demands for justice. In several hospitals, doctors were seen holding posters that say 'we want a safe environment to work' and raised slogans of 'we want justice.'
In Chandigarh, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) saw a march led by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD).
In Maharashtra, resident doctors announced an indefinite strike from August 13 to show solidarity with their colleagues nationwide. This strike will include doctors from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-run hospitals such as Cooper, KEM, Nair, and Sion hospitals, represented by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Medical Association (BMC MARD). The Maharashtra doctors' statement calls for the urgent formation of an expert committee to implement the Central Healthcare Protection Act.
Hundreds of resident doctors suspended their regular work and staged a peaceful rally in Jammu to lodge their protest. “I have not slept for the past two days after receiving this heart-wrenching news about the brutal rape and murder of the innocent doctor. We also work in night shifts and we do not feel safe given lack of proper security arrangements,” a woman doctor said.
In Lucknow, doctors participated in a rally, while some were seen donning black armbands and raising slogans to highlight their solidarity with the victim and call for justice. This nationwide wave of protests underscores a collective demand for justice and systemic change, reflecting deep concerns within the medical community about their safety and the urgent need for reform.
