Anwesha Dash, Pune
After a female doctor was raped and killed in a state-run hospital in Kolkata, hundreds of medical students and paramedics took to the streets, to demand better security and safety in hospitals. Medical assistance and services were disrupted in the state amidst on-going protests.
At the R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital, body of a 31-year-old female trainee doctor was found in the seminar room. The preliminary police reports outlined the cause of death to be suicide and did not let the family see the body. After the students of the aforementioned college protested suggesting foul play, the body was sent for postmortem examination.
The autopsy report revealed that the junior doctor was violently assaulted and then killed. Internal bleeding, wounds around leg, stomach, hand and bleeding from eyes and mouth were some of the details that were revealed in the report regarding the severity of the crime. Injury around nails and fingers also suggested that a struggle ensued between the victim and the culprit.
After all these details were made public, massive protests erupted across West Bengal led by medical students, junior doctors and other medical professionals. The demonstrations were carried out to demand safety of medical staff in hospitals with better security. Many female protestors shared their own experience of feeling unsafe in hospital premises at night with no proper security. Junior doctors have also alleged that the victim, whose body was found in the seminar room of the hospital, would have gone there to sleep at night when the crime occurred, since hospitals do not have resting places for trainee doctors and staff.
All of this has culminated in medical professionals boycotting duties until their demands are met. As per reports, OPD patients have expressed their frustration at not getting medical aid since the protests started in the state.
As of now, the accused, Sanjay Roy, has been arrested as per CCTV footage evidence. A civic volunteer by profession, the accused has been remanded to police custody for ten days.
West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamta Banerjee has made promises to the agitated medical students and the victim’s family that justice will be served and “ the accused will be hanged if needed”. She has also claimed that the protestors’ demands of safety will be met but has urged them “not to neglect their duties” in the meantime.