Protests have spread across most state-run medical colleges and hospitals in West Bengal following the alleged rape and murder of a junior woman doctor at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. On Saturday, junior doctors, resident doctors, house staff, interns, and post-graduate trainee doctors at various institutions, including Calcutta Medical College, NRS Medical College, National Medical College, and Sagar Dutta Medical College, initiated a ‘cease work’ protest, impacting most government-run hospitals except for emergency and in-house patient departments.
At R G Kar Medical College, junior doctors staged a sit-in at the main gate, chanting slogans such as “No Safety, No Duty” and calling for a judicial probe into the incident. They emphasized the need for improved safety measures, including the installation of functional CCTVs and proper on-duty restrooms. The protesters expressed their desire to keep the issue apolitical, even chanting “Go Back” slogans to discourage INTUC workers from politicizing the tragedy.
One junior doctor, speaking anonymously, highlighted the absence of CCTVs in critical areas and the need for 24×7 security coverage. Another protester demanded a transparent investigation, the arrest of the perpetrator within 48 hours, the establishment of a fast-track court, and capital punishment for the culprit. They also called for regular briefings for student representatives on case details and enhanced security in hostels.
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