Hospital services across West Bengal continue to remain disrupted on Monday due to strike by junior doctors, interns, and postgraduate trainees over the rape and murder of a woman doctor. The health workers, whose protest entered the fourth day on Monday, are demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry, a fast-track court and a committee of the Central Protection Act in the case.
The body of the woman post-graduate trainee was found inside a seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Friday morning. A civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the crime.
In a top development in the rape-murder case, Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Prof (Dr) Sandip Ghosh resigned from his post, saying he is "getting defamed on social media".
"The deceased doctor was like my daughter. As a parent, I resign...I don't like that this should happen to anyone in future...," he said on Monday.
Amid protests, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that the state government will hand over the case to CBI if police fails to solve case by Sunday. We want RG Kar hospital doctor murder case to be tried in fast track court, CM Banerjee said.
Over the past three days, junior doctors were attending emergency duties, but on Monday morning, they have ceased even those responsibilities, sources cited in a news agency PTI report said.
"We want an impartial investigation into the murder of our colleague, either by the CBI or a sitting magistrate. We are dissatisfied with the current police investigation and will continue our protest until justice is served and the state ensures foolproof security for all doctors and healthcare workers," the report quoted as saying a protesting junior doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the incident took place.
Students Question Banerjee's Dealine
Junior doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Monday questioned why West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee set a seven-day deadline for solving the case, asserting they would continue their strike until their demands are met.
"Why is the investigation delayed till Sunday? We are unhappy with the probe. Our demands are clear. We want a judicial inquiry into the matter and capital punishment for the culprits. The family of the doctor must be well compensated. We also want Kolkata Police to come out with an apology regarding the rumours regarding the investigation," an agitating junior doctor said.
On Mondays, the outpatient departments of state government hospitals experience a large volume of patients.
Doctors' Agitation Gets Support
Support for the agitating doctors has been pouring in from various parts of the country, with the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association of India (FORDA) also endorsing the strike and calling for a nationwide halt of elective services on Monday. FORDA informed the Union Health Ministry of their decision.
The West Bengal Doctors Forum appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for an impartial inquiry committee to investigate the rape and murder of the doctor. Additionally, they have demanded increased security for doctors and health workers across the state and capital punishment for the perpetrator.
Kolkata Police's detective department is reportedly expected to question three doctors and one housekeeping staff member of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in connection with the rape and murder of the woman trainee doctor inside the facility. The three doctors and the housekeeping staff have been asked to appear before the police at the headquarters after 11 am, according to an indiatoday.in report.
According to police sources cited in the report, those who will be questioned are- an intern doctor, two trainee doctors who are first-year post-graduate students from the chest medicine department and a housekeeping staff member.
