Protests at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata reached the fourth day on Monday (August 12, 2024) with doctors and students steadfast in their demand for safety of staff.
The protests began when a female doctor was allegedly raped and murdered inside the hospital which is a government-run facility. Safety concerns were raised by both medical and non-medical staff as the deceased victim was an on-duty doctor whose body was recovered from an auditorium.
The students, interns, and residents of the hospital on Monday sought a, “written apology and written order of resignation of higher authorities (Principal, MSVP, Dean of student affairs and HOD of respiratory medicine)“ and that “they should not be assigned any administrative positions in future.”
Meanwhile, the Principal of RG Kar, Dr. Sanjib Ghosh resigned from his official post on Monday morning. He said, “I have resigned from my Government of West Bengal job role as principal and professor at this medical college. I am a straight speaker, which has created a lot of issues for me. Once I spoke the truth, I have been maligned with political colours.” But within hours he was absorbed into a new role as a professor at the National Medical College in Kolkata.
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Protesting members also sought, “adequate workplace security measures in all medical college and healthcare facilities (including 24 x 7 CCTV surveillance, security guards both male and female, police picketing and patrolling, proper on-call room for on-duty doctors).”
A PG second year doctor at the protest site told The Hindu, “We work 36-48 hours straight. There are no breaks. There is no place to rest. The whole staff is overworked. There are no CCTV cameras, there is not even a clean washroom for us to use. The security issue here is quite grave.” The doctor also mentioned that this is not an issue in RG Kar alone but a concern in many government run hospitals across the State.
The doctors also said that they have risen above party politics and political colours to ask for justice for their colleague. They requested all l parties to keep their personal agendas aside.
Meanwhile West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said, “Will hand over the probe to CBI if the police fail to solve case by August 18.”
Support poured in
Protests marches were held across West Bengal by both medical and non-medical people. Students and professors at Presidency University in North Kolkata took out a solidarity march in the College Street area. Bitan Islam, a student at Presidency University told The Hindu, “We want justice. No political agendas can be used here. We want all the culprits to be brought to justice.”
A public march was taken out at College Street where people from across the city walked in solidarity for the victim at RG Kar. An elderly woman at the march said, “It is heinous what happened to the doctor in RG Kar. Words cannot describe what I am feeling. I am here today because it could have also been my daughter or my neighbour who faced this. No one is safe when such anti-socials are roaming free.”
Protest marches were also taken out in Jadavpur University in South Kolkata. Jadavpur University Teachers Association Secretary said in an official statement on behalf of the teachers, “We strongly condemn what is being said by the college authorities even before the investigation. The tendency to hide the culprits in such horrific incidents revealed in the principal’s statement also needs to be brought to justice.”
Many government hospital doctors and nurses in the State wore black badges to work on August 12 in solidarity with the victim and the protestors at RG Kar.
Treatment affected
Many patients and their families sat dejected outside the RG Kar Medical College as work has been at a standstill since the last four days at the hospital. Many came with emergencies and complained that they have not been treated.
A resident of Daimond Harbour in South 24 Parganas told The Hindu, “I have come from very far. I have been waiting here for the last two days. We can’t shift our patient to another facility, treatment is stopped at all hospitals.”
The emergency facilities remained open in many government hospitals in the State, but out-patient departments remained on strike in most places in solidarity with the movement.
Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association India called for a nation-wide halting of elective services in hospitals in solidarity with the RG Kar Medical College Residents. Indian Medical Association and Joint Platform of Doctors requested the protesting doctors to not shut down emergency services.
