Doctors across Assam on Saturday joined the nationwide protest against the rape and murder of a doctor in a Calcutta hospital, demanding exemplary punishment for the culprits and a central law to ensure the safety of medical professionals.
Out-patient and non-essential services came to a near halt in all hospitals as doctors assembled on the premises, wearing black badges and displaying placards to press for their demands.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had declared a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services for 24 hours from 6 am on August 17 to protest against the crime.
The withdrawal is across all the sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing service, the doctors' body said.
"We want justice for the victim, the family, that is our first demand. We also want to emphasise the need for awareness and education in the society so that such crimes are not repeated," a resident doctor at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here said.
Another female junior doctor added, "We don’t have fixed duty hours. We are called from our hostel at 1 am in the night. How can we come and perform our duties when we lack basic security?" "Justice delayed is justice denied, and we want swift, exemplary punishment," she demanded.
Doctors at Dibrugarh's Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) maintained that the protest was also a manifestation of the lack of security faced by people from all walks of life.
"This nationwide protest also symbolises how we feel insecure in every sphere," a protesting doctor said.
"It is a shameful matter that only one culprit has been arrested for the crime. Hospital authorities, those in government could be involved, at least in shielding the culprits. We demand all be arrested immediately," he added.
Echoing similar sentiments, protesting doctors at Rupnath Brahma Civil Hospital in Kokrajhar said they are hopeful that the CBI, which has taken over the investigation, will ensure speedy delivery of justice.
They also reiterated the demand for a central act to ensure security for all on-duty medical professionals.
A protesting doctor at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital demanded for installation of CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of on-duty doctors and other staff.
Doctors in Nagaon and Golaghat, among other places, also joined the nationwide protest.
Placards with slogans like 'No safety, no duty', 'No Justice, no peace', 'Stop shielding rapists', 'Doctor life matters', 'Stop rape' and 'We want justice' were raised at different protest sites.
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