The Indian Medical Association on Thursday night announced a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6 am on August 17 to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the subsequent vandalism at the facility.
Essential services will be maintained and casualty wards operational, the medical body said in a statement.
Out-patient departments (OPD) will not function and elective surgeries will not be conducted. The withdrawal is across all sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing services, the IMA said.
Healthcare services were affected at the state-run SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on Thursday as students went on cease work, protesting the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital.
Students wearing black badges sat on dharna on the campus, affecting OPD, OT and lab services.
Emergency services, however, functioned as usual.
The protesting students said they would be forced to stop emergency services as well if their demand for a central law for the protection of doctors was not met in 72 hours.
Kolkata Metro Railway on Thursday announced it would run normal services on August 16 when a 12-hour general strike has been called by SUCI (C) party.
Metro authorities are making all necessary arrangements so that services run normally from 6 am to 6 pm (12 hours) on August 16 along the Dakshineshwar-New Garia, Joka-Majerhat, Howrah Maidan-Esplanade, Sealdah-Sector Five, New Garia-Ruby More corridors so that commuters do not face any inconvenience, a statement said.
Rooms and spaces housing 18 departments have been vandalised by a mob in state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital and it may take weeks for restoration, a senior official of the health department said on Thursday.
Massive vandalism was witnessed in the emergency, staffers' room, changing room for nurses and medicine store in the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, he said, adding almost all the CCTV cameras were also broken.
A portion of the seminar hall, where a woman doctor was allegedly raped and murdered, was also vandalised and doors were damaged, he said.
The rape and murder of a female trainee doctor in Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital has sent shockwaves throughout the country, with junior doctors organising protests and ceasing work to demand swift justice to the victim. This has in turn affected the patients waiting at the Out-Patient Departments of several medical colleges where they are usually attended to by junior doctors.
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"I strongly condemn this incident. There's nothing of what you can call a government there (West Bengal). What happened with the female doctor is very shameful for the country. Mamata Banerjee's government has failed at every level."
"The kind of insensitive behaviour Trinamool Congress is showing in West Bengal, similar behaviour is being shown by the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. From Kannauj to Kolkata, a dangerous mentality of hate, hostility against women and protecting criminals is being witnessed," says BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi
We had earlier reminded doctors of their obligation to treat patients. However this incident would definitely impact their mindset. We direct the petitioner to inform the persons in charge of the doctors body to appear before court: Calcutta HC
We direct those incharge of the hospital to narrate the state of affairs over there, the court says
In the event of any violence against any healthcare worker while on duty, the Head of Institution shall be responsible for filing an Institutional FIR within a maximum of 6 hours of the incident: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
BJP leaders including Agnimitra Paul and Roopa Ganguly protest against the rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital
"... West Bengal is a state with a woman Chief Minister but when it comes to atrocities against women, West Bengal has become the state with one of the highest number of cases. In the last few months, we have seen what happened in Sandeshkhali, Chopra, and now in Kolkata... There are allegations as well as proof coming out that the police have been trying to tamper with evidence and protect people involved in this kind of heinous incident... Law and order in the state is non-existent. Both the police department and the health ministry are under the Chief Minister and both ministries are not functioning. BJP demands that the CM should resign for the safety and well-being of the citizens of India."
Court has asked his counsel to file a separate affidavit if anything else needs to be mentioned or any other claims
"The Calcutta High Court has no faith in the West Bengal government and police. That's why the investigation has been handed over to the CBI...When will Mamata Banerjee take responsibility for the incident? When will she tender her resignation? There is no moral authority, legal authority or constitutional propriety left for Mamata Banerjee to continue as Chief Minister of West Bengal for even a minute. She has failed the citizens of West Bengal...She has failed her constitutional obligations...She said that the violence that took place on 14-15 August was done by 'Bam and Ram'. The anti-Hindu mindset of TMC doesn't even rest in a case as sensitive as this..."
Around 6000-7000 senior resident doctors affiliated to the Maharashtra Association of Bonded Resident Doctors (MABRD) and the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) joined the strike on Friday.
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BJP MLA from Siliguri, Dr Sankar Ghosh, has declared the party's demand for Mamata's resignation, with the Kolkata trainee medic's rape and murder being the last straw on the proverbial came's back.
"We have only one demand that Mamata (Banerjee) must resign. After observing all the incidents- from Kamduni, Park Street, Matigara, Chopra, Ariadaha, Kaliaganj, and Hanshkhali, it seems she has failed to run the government. After the incident of RG Kar, it is obvious that the CM tried to hide the crime scene from the media... Women are victimised time and again. The culprits are booked but not punished..." he said during BJP's protest in Kolkata.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee takes out a rally against the incident of rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Kolkata. She is demanding justice for the victim and death penalty for the accused.
TMC workers reiterated that they would not left BJP and Left 'succeed' using 'conspiracy' theories — one of the primary 'theories' circulating currently is that the vandalism at the hospital was to destroy evidence and were linked to the state's ruling party.
This incident has traumatized the nation... Not just the West Bengal incident, incidents of sexual harassment, honour killing, molestation, rapes, cruelty against women, physical violence, and abuse, all put us to shame... Gender sensitivity is something that is lacking in this country... We need to come together as a society and evolve, raise above pettiness and start talking to our boy children more. We need to tell them where to draw the line and what not to indulge in. We need to tell them how they will be punished and will be thrown out of society...This will not happen with a one-day lecture, it will take time...but we are the world's largest economy and we need to rise above this....BRS working president KT Rama Rao in Hyderabad
Excerpts from Kolkata Commissioner press conference:
- "(We have) arrested about 25 people ... far too many rumors are floating which have no basis and on the basis of rumors a lot of so-called experts are analyzing those rumors and trying to create atmosphere which is... that 'Kolkata Police has not done this', 'Kolkata Police should have done this'..."
- "Evidence has to be scientific in nature now the case has gone to CBI let's have trust on the agency which is investigating this case. (So) let them. They will also come up with a scientific evidence whatever we had to do in whatever little time which we had our officers have done everything possible. The agency (CBI) would find out if there are any loopholes, any deliberate evidence destruction or anything, which our team might have done and obviously we are liable for legal action if there is something of this kind. I'm telling you that if there is anybody who has done anything wrong we are liable for it. (But now) there is a different investigating agency which is doing (the investigation)."
- "Why are people so impatient? Have faith in the new investigating agency. Why this rumour mongering is going on even now? Somebody said 150 g of semen has been found and I don't know from where have they found this kind of information and it is circulating in media and all kind of uh forms (platforms) and people are trending this... They either believe it or they're trying to create confusion amongst the people so I would like to request you all that please there is a new investigating agency. We have handed over anything and everything which we had and our officers are cooperating with them."
Bengal Additional CP Murlidhar Sharma says, "So far, we have arrested 25 people in this case... The interrogation of most of the people is underway and today we will produce some people in the court. During the interrogation, most of these people said that they came here on their own, but its verification is still ongoing and if there is any conspiracy or some people behind this, for this we need to do sustained interrogation. As the Commissioner said a while ago that crowd had gathered at more than 50 places in the city and this movement was done through social media...The protests were conducted peacefully at 49 places in the city..."
On being asked if the mob destroyed evidence, he says "I have already told you that they did not go up to the fourth floor where the PO is. They damaged a large part of the ground floor and the emergency ward and some people went to the first floor. It took time for our force to reassemble and after reassembling, the force chased them away. At that time also, we arrested some people and we have arrested some more by conducting a raid."
"The parents told us that they suspect the involvement of multiple persons behind the sexual assault and murder of their daughter. They have given us names of a few interns and doctors working with their daughter at the RG Kar Hospital," the CBI offi...
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While answering a question regarding the Kolkata rape & murder case, Yadav said, "Any incident with a woman across the country is sad. Action should be taken against it. Mamata Banerjee is a female chief minister, and she will take action. But these people of BJP are doing politics."
"The BJP has a talent for doing politics on every incident. They have the talent of drawing political benefits over every incident and dishonouring others," he added.
Doctors in Delhi, who had been demonstrating inside their respective hospitals, united for a massive protest outside Nirman Bhawan as their indefinite strike, following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, entered its fifth day on Friday with all elective services remaining suspended.
The Nirman Bhawan, located near Parliament in Lutyens' Delhi, houses the Ministry of Health besides other departments.
West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar was leading the BJP party's protest at Kolkata's Shyambazar against RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder incident. Soon after West Bengal Police detained Majumdar at the protest site.
"Every national commission is not being given a proper respect or cooperation from the state government, and it is not for first time, but happening all along. This is a habit of Mamata Banerjee," says BJP Mahila Morcha national president Vanathi Srinivasan.
Does the CM of Bengal want to ensure that investigations are not completed in totality? Why is she in a hurry knowing that these questions are still unanswered?Smriti Irani on Mamata demanding CBI complete its probe by Sunday
The site where the 31-year-old doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in a Kolkata hospital underwent sudden renovations, potentially leading to tampering with evidence, the NCW has alleged, noting that the crime scene should have been sealed immediately by the police.
The NCW has revealed lapses in security, infrastructure, and the investigation surrounding the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.
The NCW’s inquiry revealed that no security guards were present during the incident, leaving on-call interns, doctors, and nurses without sufficient protection during night shifts.
Furthermore, the Committee reported potential evidence tampering, noting that the site where the crime allegedly took place was undergoing sudden renovations.
The crime scene, they emphasized, should have been sealed immediately by the police.
The hospital was also found to lack basic amenities for female medical staff, including poorly maintained washrooms, inadequate lighting, and a complete absence of security measures.
Our primary demand is the arrest of the culprits with proper evidence with an official press release confirming the same from the CBI. We demand a written apology, order of resignation of higher authorities including the former Principal of RG Kar, MSVP, Dean of Students Affairs, HOD of the Chest Medicine Department and the Assistant Super Support on Duty of the incident and they should be barred from holding any administrative or authoritative positions in any institution for the remaining duration of their services. We demand an explanation from the Shastra Bhawan as to why the resignation of the former Principal was not accepted and why was he reinstated in another medical college as a Principal. We previously stated that no amount of compensation can be made for a life lost. However, her parents should be provided with lifelong support and adequate financial compensation by the government and it should be announced immediately. Implementation of workplace security measures including CCTV cameras, security guards both male and female, with special emphasis on why on in-campus and out-campus hostels...The Commissioner of the Police should take strict action against the digital defamation of RG Kar MCh students that has been circulated on social media. He should also investigate and take action against the circulation of the photo of the victim that is going on in the social media and he also should take action against taking the victim's name multiple times in the social media. In light of the recent mob attack, we would demand the resignation of the current Principal of RG Kar MCH, Commissioner of the Police of Kolkata, officer in charge of Tala PS and Deputy Commissioner of Police North Kolkata on their shameful response to the mob attack on the eve of Independence Day...Junior doctors of R G Kar Medical College
My daughter left for duty at around 8:10 am on that day. She was on OPD and last spoke to her mother at around 11:15 pm. In the morning when my wife was calling her, her phone was ringing but no one picked up, by that time my daughter died. The matter of concern is that from 3 AM to 10 AM, nobody needed her, despite she was an on-duty doctor. All the people who are protesting on the streets are like my sons and daughters. My daughter has passed away but crores of children are standing with me now...She had to face some problems in college, the entire department was a suspect... All those who are protesting, we are with them... I spoke to the officials of CBI yesterday but I cannot say anything else since the matter is subjudice.Deceased doctor's father
A letter petition has been sent to Chief Justice of India for the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of Kolkata's incident of rape and murder of Post Graduate trainee doctor on August 9 and also ensure impartial investigation into subsequent a...
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