Nationwide Protests Over Trainee Doctor’s Tragic Death in Kolkata
On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. This tragic incident has sparked nationwide outrage and protests among the medical community.
CBI Investigation
West Bengal BJP President and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar emphasized the importance of trusting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a thorough investigation. He stated, “The CBI is investigating and we should trust it. The CBI will perform the investigation properly but the condition is that the evidence at the crime scene is not tampered with.”
Nationwide Concern
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju highlighted that the incident is a nationwide issue, affecting the safety of medical staff across the country. He said, “Because of the incident that happened in West Bengal, the safety of the medical staff is a matter of concern. It is not just about the medical fraternity of the doctors and nurses. This is a nationwide issue. It is a security and a societal issue. It is a matter of concern for everyone.”
Protests Across the Country
Doctors and medical staff have been protesting across the country. Resident doctors at Rajkot Civil Hospital and members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Ahmedabad held protests. The IMA has declared a 24-hour withdrawal of services by all modern medicine doctors, except for emergencies and casualties, from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday, August 18, 2024.
In Delhi, the Resident Doctors’ Association of UCMS (University College of Medical Sciences) and GTBH (Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital) will continue their strike, shutting down OPD, elective services, and laboratory services. In Chennai, resident doctors at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Madras Medical College also organized a boycott protest. A protesting doctor in Chennai stated, “In accordance with the IMA notification, we are going for a boycott of all our elective services. Emergency services will continue. All we are asking for is justice for the victim and her family.”
Vandalism and Security Concerns
The protests have also led to vandalism at RG Kar Medical College, where a mob damaged the protest ground and hospital campus, forcing security personnel to disperse the crowd.
Doubts Revealed
postgraduate trainee doctor -: A postgraduate trainee doctor is someone who has finished their basic medical degree and is now training to become a specialist in a particular field of medicine.
RG Kar Medical College -: RG Kar Medical College is a well-known medical college and hospital in Kolkata, a big city in India.
West Bengal BJP President -: The West Bengal BJP President is the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state of West Bengal. BJP is one of the major political parties in India.
Sukanta Majumdar -: Sukanta Majumdar is a politician and the current President of the BJP in West Bengal.
CBI -: CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation, which is India’s top agency for investigating serious crimes.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju -: Kiren Rijiju is a politician who is part of the central government of India and holds a position as a Union Minister.
Indian Medical Association -: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is a national organization of doctors in India that works to protect the interests of doctors and improve healthcare.
24-hour service withdrawal -: A 24-hour service withdrawal means that doctors stopped working for a whole day to protest and show their concern about the incident.
Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Chennai -: These are big cities in India where people also protested. Rajkot and Ahmedabad are in Gujarat, Delhi is the capital of India, and Chennai is in Tamil Nadu.
vandalism -: Vandalism means damaging or destroying property on purpose. In this case, it happened at RG Kar Medical College.
