Doctors across India have launched a nationwide strike, intensifying protests against the rape and murder of a female colleague in Kolkata, West Bengal.
Over a million participants were anticipated to join the strike, as hospitals and clinics nationwide turned away non-urgent medical services.
The country was shaken by the brutal rape of the 31-year-old trainee doctor, whose severely injured, partially clothed body was found in a seminar hall at R G Kar Medical College, where she had gone to rest during her shift.
A hospital volunteer has been arrested in connection with her murder.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) labeled the recent murder a “crime of barbaric scale,” highlighting the urgent need for safer conditions for women and rallying for nationwide support in their quest for justice.
Following the assault, protests demanding improved protection for women have grown, especially after a crowd damaged the hospital where the attack occurred.
The IMA clarified that despite the strike, emergency and casualty services would remain operational until the strike concluded at 06:00 local time on Sunday (00:30 GMT).
R. V. Asokan, president of the IMA, expressed to the BBC that although doctors have long protested against violence, this particular incident marks a significant and distressing change.
He emphasized the vulnerability of doctors, stating that if such crimes can occur in a major city’s medical college, it reflects broader safety concerns for doctors everywhere.
Earlier this week, some government hospital doctors declared an indefinite suspension of elective procedures.
The IMA has demanded stronger legal protections for medical personnel, enhanced security at hospitals, and the establishment of designated safe rest areas.
They also demanded a thorough and professional inquiry into the murder, legal action against those who vandalized the hospital, and compensation for the victim’s family.
Amid criticisms of police inaction, the investigation has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Recent incidents of rape have dominated Indian headlines since her murder, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call for swift and severe punishment for such heinous acts against women.
The incident has also sparked a political conflict in West Bengal, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) of being behind the attack, an allegation the TMC denies, blaming political agitators instead.
In West Bengal, tens of thousands of women participated in a Reclaim the Night march to demand the right to live freely and without fear.
Although the protests were mainly peaceful, an altercation occurred when a group of men forcefully entered the RG Kar Hospital, where the crime took place, and vandalized the emergency ward.
To date, at least 25 individuals have been arrested in relation to the hospital incident.
Similar protests have been conducted in several other Indian cities, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune.
