Kolkata rape & murder case: Protests intensify as resident doctors shut services

The protests over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor inside a hospital in Kolkata intensified on Monday with resident doctors deciding to shut down elective services at various hospital across the country.
The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of RG Kar Medical College said they will call off the protests only after their demands are met.
“We have released a set of four demands – judicial probe, written apology from hospital authorities, compensation for the woman’s family, police must publish progress of the probe regularly,” said a doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association India (FORDA) has announced a nationwide halt of elective services in hospitals beginning Monday.
“This decision is not taken lightly, but it is necessary to ensure that our voices are heard and the demands for justice and safety are met without further delay,” the FORDA statement said.
Also Read:Kolkata police arrest one in alleged rape, murder of student at medical college
Associations of resident doctors (RDA) across the country expressed solidarity with their counterparts in Bengal on Sunday.
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors announced suspension of elective and non-emergency medical services by resident doctors from August 13.
At Rohtak, resident doctors along with interns said the outpatient department (OPDs) will not be operational for two hours on Monday.
The RDA of Safdarjung and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) in New Delhi decided to shut down elective services including OPD, elective OTs and ward duties indefinitely starting from Monday.
In Uttar Pradesh, the RDA has also decided to suspend non-essential medical services.
The semi-nude body of a second-year student of the respiratory medicine department was found inside the seminar hall of the state-run hospital in Kolkata on Friday.
On Saturday, the Kolkata Police arrested an accused in connection with the alleged rape and murder of the student.
“The accused has been identified as Sanjay Roy. He is not a staff. Further investigation is going on,” said an investigating officer.
A preliminary autopsy report suggested that she was sexually assaulted and murdered. Police have registered a case of rape and murder, and a special investigation team (SIT) has been set up to probe the case.
Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal met the protesting junior doctors on Sunday.
Briefing media persons, Goyal said that the assistant commissioner of police, under whose area of jurisdiction the hospital is located, has been removed.
Security arrangements at the hospital were reviewed by the state government while the state health department, headed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, replaced the hospital superintendent Dr Sanjay Vashisth with Dr Bulbul Mukherjee.
Two contractual security guards were also suspended, a health department official said on condition of anonymity.