The protest against the rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College is spreading to private hospitals in the city following a call to doctors at government and private hospitals to not attend OPDs and perform non-emergency duties between 8am and 4pm on Wednesday.

The Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) — an umbrella body of multiple doctors’ associations, such as the Indian Medical Association’s Bengal chapter and the West Bengal Doctors’ Forum — issued the call.

“We saw how the RG Kar hospital administration started demolishing structures in the chest medicine department in the name of renovation. The high court took
away the investigation from Kolkata Police and handed it to the CBI hours after the
demolition started,” said Kaushik Chaki, a member of
the JPD.

“This raises suspicion about the intent of the state government — whether they are planning to tamper with the evidence. That is why we have issued this call to doctors at private and government hospitals to not join OPD and perform non-emergency services between 8am and 4pm on Wednesday,” said Chaki, who is also the president of the West Bengal Doctors’ Forum.

There is also a plan to organise a rally along EM Bypass with doctors from several hospitals. Many doctors told this newspaper they would join the rally.

If the JPD goes ahead with its plan, services at private hospitals could be affected on Wednesday.

Junior doctors at government medical colleges in the city and elsewhere in the state have been on a cease-work since the rape and murder on Friday.

A number of senior doctors at private hospitals, including neurologists, oncologists and gynaecologists, said they would not attend outpatient departments as a mark of protest and in solidarity with the victim’s family.

“It is not a strike but a protest. We are also showing solidarity with the victim and her family. We doctors have only been discussing this issue
over the last few days. This incident is so gory that it is affecting our work,” a neurologist said.

“A hospital is a place where a baby is born and it is the first thing the baby sees. How can such a gory murder happen in such a place.”

The doctor added: “We will see patients in wards and the emergency department. We will also do procedures. We will not sit in our OPD clinics. If anyone comes to us, we will treat them but not take any fees.”

Private hospitals functioned normally till Tuesday barring a token cease-work to show solidarity with the protesting doctors at RG Kar.

Doctors at all three units of Manipal Hospitals in the city held a token “pen down” protest at the OPDs between 11.30am and 12.30pm. They wore black badges and marched outside the hospital premises.

Ayanabh Debgupta, regional COO, eastern region, Manipal Hospitals, said he wore a black badge. “It was a very sad incident. We stand in solidarity with the family of the deceased. At the same time, we will also ensure that no patient coming to our hospital on Wednesday faces any inconvenience.”

“Our emergency services will be available as usual,” said Debgupta.

Pradip Tondon, the CEO of Belle Vue Clinic, said their OPD will remain open on Wednesday. “But if any doctor wants to join the no-work call, we will not stop him or her. We will ensure that patients in the OPD are examined by another consultant,” said Tondon.