Nationwide protests in India over hospital safety and colleague’s rape
Indian doctors in Kolkata have restarted their strike to protest the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old female colleague, demanding improved hospital safety and justice for their slain peer.
The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, representing 7,000 physicians, had briefly resumed partial services last month due to the flood situation but reinstated the full strike on Tuesday, citing unmet demands.
The doctors’ demands include enhanced security measures, such as upgraded lighting and CCTV cameras, to ensure a safe working environment. Union spokesman Aniket Mahato expressed disappointment with the state government’s inaction, stating, “The state government has failed to provide safety and security in the workplace.”
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The protests, which began in Kolkata, have spread nationwide, with doctors in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra joining the cause.
India’s Supreme Court has intervened, creating a hospital safety task force and urging the state government to implement measures by October 15 to address the doctors’ concerns.
Rape, according to Wikipedia, is the fourth most common crime against women in India. The 2021 annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), indicated that 31,677 rape cases were registered across the country, or an average of 86 cases daily, a rise from 2020 with 28,046 cases, while in 2019, 32,033 cases were registered.
The report added that of the total 31,677 rape cases, 28,147 (nearly 89%) of the rapes were committed by persons known to the victim.
