A wave of outrage and grief has swept through India following the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. In response, 71 Padma Awardee doctors have penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, voicing their deep concern and anguish over the incident. They implore the Prime Minister to intervene immediately to address the alarming situation and combat violence against healthcare professionals.
The doctors, in their letter, emphasize the urgent need for a separate law to protect healthcare workers. They point to a proposed bill, ‘The Prevention of Violence Against Doctors, Medical Professionals and Medical Institutions Bill,’ which has been ready since 2019 but remains unpassed. They strongly advocate for the immediate enactment of an ordinance to this effect, followed by the swift passage of the bill in Parliament.
Dr. AK Bhalla, Secretary of the Board of Management at Sir Gangaram Hospital and a Padma Awardee, echoes this sentiment, urging the Prime Minister to take immediate action to implement time-bound punishments for offenders, improve safety measures in hospitals and medical institutions, and establish a law specifically for the protection of healthcare workers.
Dr. Anil Kohli, a Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardee and President of the Dental Council of India, condemns the attack, highlighting that violence against doctors is not merely an attack on individuals but an assault on the very fabric of healthcare in society.
Dr. Harsh Mahajan, Padma Shri and Founder of Mahajan Imaging Centre, joins the chorus of calls for a new law to safeguard doctors, healthcare professionals, and medical institutions, ensuring that no one dares to verbally or physically abuse healthcare workers.
The case has sparked widespread outrage, prompting the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance and schedule a hearing for August 20. Junior doctors, students, and football fans have held protests, leading to the cancellation of a Durand Cup match.
The incident has triggered widespread protests from the medical community, with junior doctors and students continuing to protest at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. In response to the unrest and vandalism on the hospital campus, the Kolkata police have imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 144 of the CrPC), around the Medical College and Hospital for seven days, effective from August 18 to August 24, to maintain law and order.
