The rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has been reported in the latest edition (August 24) of The Lancet, one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals.

The article sheds light on the broader issues of violence and substandard working conditions faced by medical personnel nationwide.

“The incident has brought into focus the poor working conditions for health workers, as well as the growing threat of violence against them,” the article penned by Dinesh C. Sharma states, emphasising the precarious environment in which healthcare professionals operate.

The mention of the junior doctor’s rape and murder and the ongoing agitation, though unexpected, underscores the gravity of the situation, thrusting India’s healthcare challenges into the global spotlight.

For the medical community, securing a place in The Lancet — known for its high-impact peer-reviewed research and esteemed reputation — is typically a mark of honour. However, being featured for such a harrowing reason has sent shockwaves throughout the country’s healthcare sector.

The Lancet article delves into the growing concerns among medical professionals, particularly their call for increased protection against violence following the heinous crime at one of Calcutta’s most respected medical institutions.

It further illustrates the grim reality of large public hospitals in India, often characterised by overcrowding, overworked staff, and a lack of basic amenities. The young doctor, who worked in the chest medicine department, was resting on a makeshift bed in the seminar room during a gruelling 36-hour shift when she was brutally attacked.

Quoting allegations from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), The Lancet article describes the circumstances surrounding the doctor’s death as “deeply troubling”.

It also raised the critical question: “If such a crime can occur in a tertiary care centre in a major city like Calcutta, how can women doctors feel safe in district hospitals or rural centres?”

The article also echoes IMA national president R.V. Ashokan’s call for hospitals to be declared safe zones — akin to airports — and for the enactment of laws to protect medical personnel from violence.

Narayan Banerjee, an internal medicine expert, who first shared the article on his social media, commented: “It is a shame for us to see the article in the world’s most
acclaimed journal.”

Chandan Pathak, an eminent orthopaedic surgeon and RG Kar Medical College and Hospital alumnus, told The Telegraph: “Our shame has crossed all boundaries over the past two weeks. There is nothing to hide anymore. So a publication on the RG Kar rape and murder would do little further damage.”

Pathak, who is former president of West Bengal Orthopaedics Association, added that although The Lancet and some other journals were often accused of having an anti-India bias, the present article should be viewed “positively”, as it may “catalyse improvements in security and working conditions, particularly for female healthcare workers in Bengal and across the country”.

Despite the uneasiness and apparent embarrassment, many doctors have welcomed the article, stating that the international medical community should be made aware of what they term the “institutional murder” of the young doctor. They also highlight the pervasive corruption within the health administration, which they claim is systematically dismantling the state’s healthcare infrastructure.

Punyabrata Gun, one of the conveners of the Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal, also welcomed the article’s publication. “There is no uneasiness left for us after such an institutional murder of a doctor. I am hopeful that this article will raise awareness, particularly among the international medical community, about the rampant corruption and poor working conditions in state-run hospitals. The confronting situations that medical workers face every day cannot be ignored any longer.”

Gun added that the article would empower the medical community to continue their fight against the corruption that is eroding the state’s healthcare system.