Women Doctors

Agitating junior doctors along with common people on Wednesday evening organised a torch rally in Kolkata, demanding justice for the medic who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here on August 9. Representatives of the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum and several civil society organisations took out the procession from the West Bengal Medical Council's office in Salt Lake's Sector 3 to the CBI's office at the CGO Complex in Sector 1. Shouting slogans like 'We want justice', the participants demanded that the CBI complete its investigation into the rape-murder case quickly. "It's almost three months since the incident happened. The CBI is still investigating the matter. We want them to quicken their probe," one of the agitating doctors said. At the rally, one of the doctors held a clock in his hand as a symbol to demonstrate that time is passing since the crime took place at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, while others held torche

The West Bengal government on Tuesday constituted a state-level task force to ensure safety and security of healthcare professionals in the state and improve the quality of services, a notification said. The task force was set up after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised junior doctors of such a measure during a meeting, he said. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant will be the chairperson of the task force, while Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty, Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar, Health Secretary NS Nigam and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma will be part of it. "In pursuance of the Government of West Bengal's commitment to enhancing the quality of healthcare services across the state, and in the view of the safety, security, and grievances of healthcare professionals, the state government hereby constitutes a state-level task force," an order signed by Pant stated. It mentioned that there would be two representatives from senior and junior resident doctors, one

The CBI has listed 11 pieces of evidence, such as reports of DNA and blood samples, in its charge sheet to hold arrested Kolkata Police civic volunteer Sanjay Roy as the "sole accused" in the rape and murder of a woman doctor at the RG Kar hospital here. The agency mentioned the presence of his DNA on the body of the victim, short hair, blood stains of the victim, injuries on his body, the CCTV footage and the location of his mobile phone as per the call detail records as evidence against Roy. The charge sheet, a copy of which is with PTI, also mentioned that Roy sustained "blunt force injuries consistent with the marks of resistance/struggle by the victim". Roy was arrested by Kolkata Police on August 10. "His (Roy's) presence in RG Kar Medical College & Hospital and also at the third floor of the emergency building where SoC (scene of the crime) lies, during the intervening night of August 8 and 9 is proved by way of CCTV footage. His presence is proved by way of the location ..

Doctors at Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi on Wednesday began a one-day hunger strike to show solidarity with junior doctors in West Bengal who are protesting the brutal rape and murder of a female medic. Doctors at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital also joined in on Wednesday, wearing black ribbons as a symbol of solidarity and remembrance for their murdered colleague, while the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of AIIMS-Delhi announced a candle march scheduled for 6 pm at JLN Stadium. Aparna Setia, president of Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) RDA, said doctors are holding a symbolic hunger strike during working hours from 9 am to 4 pm on Wednesday. "During this period, we will abstain from eating or drinking to express our support for the junior doctors in West Bengal who have been on a hunger strike," Setia told PTI. The MAMC is also organising various activities in support of the doctors' cause. The GTB doctors, in a statement, said the black ribbons they wore signif

In a move to support the ongoing protest against the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor in West Bengal, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) on Monday announced a nationwide hunger strike. The doctors' association held a meeting on Monday and announced that the hunger strike will begin on Wednesday, which will be two months from the day the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College in West Bengal happened on August 9. "We have been in close contact with the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front and are united in our stance," said Suvrankar Datta, President of FAIMA. "After extensive deliberation, we have decided to organise a nationwide hunger strike in solidarity with our colleagues in West Bengal, Datta said. Datta also emphasised that the hunger strike is intended to amplify the voices of the junior doctors who have been on strike for weeks, advocating for better working conditions, enhanced safety protocols, and other essentia

Agitating junior doctors demanding justice for the deceased woman medic of the Kar Medical College and Hospital and workplace safety continued their hunger strike until death on Sunday in the central part of the city's Dharmatala area. Several senior doctors, who have been at the protest site since Saturday night, are also planning to join their junior counterparts in the hunger strike. "The support of these people gives us the courage, the enthusiasm to continue our protest against the gruesome murder of our sister. We are happy to see that people have not forgotten that justice is yet not given and attacks on doctors are still on and the state government has no serious note of our demands," Debasish Halder, one of the agitating doctors, told PTI. The junior medics started their hunger strike untill death on Saturday night after the state government missed the 24-hour deadline of fulfilling their demands by 8.30 pm on Saturday. They had on Friday begun a sit-in demonstration at th

The junior doctors, protesting over the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital, went on fast unto death on Saturday evening, claiming that their demands were not fulfilled by the West Bengal government. With three days left before the Durga Puja festivities start, the doctors had on Friday begun a sit-in demonstration at the Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala in the heart of Kolkata, setting a 24-hour deadline for the state government to fulfil their demands. "The state government has failed the deadline and hence we are starting the fast unto death, which will continue till our demands are fulfilled. To maintain transparency, we have installed CCTV cameras at the dais where our colleagues are holding the fast," a junior doctor said. "We joined duty last night but will not eat anything," he said, adding that at present six junior doctors were sitting on fast. The six doctors who were sitting on the fast were identified as Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja and Anustup ...

West Bengal's agitating junior doctors are likely to call off their "total cease work" on Friday and resume normal duties soon after, while continuing their demonstrations demanding justice for their murdered colleague at RG Kar hospital and improved safety measures in medical facilities. After holding a governing body meeting throughout Thursday night, the junior medics decided to hold a rally on Friday afternoon, during which they are likely to announce their decision to withdraw the "total cease work," a source said. However, they plan to set a deadline for the state government to implement their demands, after which they will launch a "indefinite fast" until their promises are fulfilled, he added. "The governing body meeting concluded this morning. We have decided to suspend the total cease work for now, but our demonstrations will continue. We are mindful of the large number of patients relying on state-run hospitals every day," one of the agitating doctors told PTI. Their sen

Junior medics from various government hospitals in West Bengal, along with members of the public, participated in torch rallies across the city on Sunday, demanding justice for the murdered doctor of R G Kar Hospital and calling for improved security at their workplaces. The demonstrations took place a day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case involving the alleged rape-murder of the postgraduate trainee. The rallies were organised from several key locations, including R G Kar hospital, Sagore Dutta hospital, SSKM hospital, Calcutta Medical College, and Jadavpur in south Kolkata. Participants, including doctors and community members, emphasised the need for justice for the victim and heightened safety measures for medical staff in state-run facilities. On September 27, junior doctors had urged the public to hold protests across the state in solidarity ahead of Monday's Supreme Court hearing. Having returned to work after a month-long agitation, the junior doctors

Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma on Sunday visited R G Kar Medical College and Hospital here, a day before the Supreme Court is to hear the rape-murder case of a post-graduate trainee doctor of the health facility. Sources said that Verma took stock of the security system at the hospital, spoke to the police personnel present there, and went to the emergency department. The police commissioner's visit comes a day before the rape-murder case comes up for hearing again before the Supreme Court on Monday. A mob attack at the hospital took place in the early hours of August 15, vandalising the emergency department of the government-run hospital, just a day after the Calcutta High Court had ordered the transfer of investigation into the rape-murder case to the CBI. The city police are investigating the vandalism at the hospital. Junior doctors, who resumed work after more than a month-long agitation seeking justice for their murdered colleague, said on Saturday night that they w

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Junior doctors on Saturday rejoined their duties partially at various government-run hospitals in West Bengal after a hiatus of 42 days. They were on 'cease work' in protest against the rape-murder of an on-duty woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. While they returned to essential and emergency services at all state-run hospitals, the doctors continued to refrain from working in the outpatient departments (OPDs). "We have started rejoining duties today. Our colleagues are returning to their respective departments for essential and emergency services, but not at the OPDs. This is only a partial resumption of duties," said Aniket Mahato, one of the protesting doctors. Aniket, along with colleagues Lahri Sarkar and Raktim Majumder, even operated on a woman patient at the hospital. He said some of their peers had already left for flood-hit areas of the state to set up 'Abhaya clinics' (medical camps), underscoring their commitment to public health despite ongoing ...

Junior doctors agitating over the RG Kar incident called off their cease work' on Friday evening, announcing partial resumption of duties entailing attending essential services in state-run hospitals from Saturday. Ending the logjam persisting for 42 days, the medics withdrew the cease work' after holing a march to the CBI office in Salt Lake from the state health department's headquarters, where they had been demonstrating for over a week. The procession covered a distance of around 4 km from the Swasthya Bhawan' to the CGO Complex. The medics have said they would not work in the Outpatient Department (OPD), but partially function in emergency and essential services. The doctors had called the cease work' and staged the sit-in outside the state health department headquarters in the wake of the rape and murder of a young medic at RG Kar hospital.

Agitating junior doctors on Thursday alleged that decorators were removing tents, bamboo shafts and pedestal fans from the protest site in front of Swasthya Bhawan after they were allegedly pressurised by the police to do so. The police, however, denied these allegations as baseless. The agitating doctors said that around midnight, decorators, who had themselves donated tarpaulin, beds, tents and pedestal fans, were seen removing those from the sit-in site outside the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake. A junior doctor claimed that there was confusion when decorators began opening the tents, but they were assured that these items would be replaced soon. "All arrangements for the sit-in are being funded by the public. Some decorators volunteered to provide us with tents, fans, bamboo shafts, and makeshift beds. When we contacted them about why they were taking down the items, they said they would replace these soon as they needed to use these items for making Durga Pu

In response to the Kolkata rape and murder case, the Odisha government has introduced new safety measures at hospitals, colleges, and hostels

Supreme Court raised concerns over West Bengal's staffing policies in hospitals during the suo moto hearing on the Kolkata rape and murder case

RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: Junior doctors across India are demanding government accountability and an impartial, transparent probe into the rape and murder case of trainee doctor in Kolkata

Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal have written to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting their intervention in the RG Kar hospital impasse. Copies of the four-page letter written by the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front were also sent to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Union Health Minister JP Nadda. A post-graduate trainee was raped and murdered in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Junior doctors have been on 'cease work' since then. "We humbly place the issues before your esteemed excellency, as the head of state, so that our unfortunate colleague who has been the victim of the most despicable crime shall receive justice, and so that we, the healthcare professionals under the West Bengal Health department, may be able to discharge our duties to the public without fear and apprehension. "Your intervention in these trying times will act as a beacon of light to us all, showing us the way ahead out of the darkness that

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that the state government would pay a compensation of Rs two lakh to the families of each of the 29 people who died allegedly after not getting treatment due to the ongoing 'cease work' of agitating junior doctors. "It is sad and unfortunate that we have lost 29 precious lives due to disruption in health services because of long-drawn cease work by junior doctors," Banerjee posted on X. "In order to extend a helping hand to the bereaved families, state government announces a token financial relief of Rs 2 lakh to family members of each deceased person," she added. The junior doctors have been on 'cease work' since August 9 when the body of an on-duty postgraduate trainee was found in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. She was allegedly raped and murdered.