Kolkata Doctor Rape And Murder Case: Nationwide Strike Across Medical Colleges, Demands For Better Security On Campuses

The Federation Of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) on Monday (12 August) is organising a nationwide strike to mark a protest against the sexual assault and murder of a woman postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata.

The partially unclothed body of a second-year postgraduate doctor from the chest medicine department was discovered in the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's seminar hall on Friday.

The Kolkata Police have apprehended a suspect named Sanjay Roy in connection with the case. Roy, an outsider, had access to various hospital departments due to his position as a civic volunteer with the police welfare board.

The strike will be observed by all 10 Government Hospitals’ RDA of Delhi, Resident Doctors of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu. "All other state RDAs will join by today," Dr Meet Ghonia, Secretary of FORDA India said.

The junior doctors and medical professionals in medical colleges and hospitals across West Bengal have already been protesting starting from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and Medical College, Kolkata.

Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital and Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital too joined the protest soon.

The resident doctors of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital demand strict action to address the "flawed" security agency of the hospital, as well as increased installation of CCTV cameras with 24x7 real-time monitoring.

The victim had been on duty the previous night of the incident and had multiple injuries on her body. The initial autopsy suggested that she may have been sexually assaulted before being killed.