RG Kar medico death case: West Bengal Junior doctors to continue protest despite SC appeal

Kolkata: The indefinite strike of junior doctors against the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) here has entered the 15th consecutive day as they refused to end their protest even after Supreme Court appealed to doctors across the nation to return to work and restore OPD services.

Medical Dialogues team recently reported that the Supreme Court held that no adverse action would be taken against the doctors who are protesting against the incident. However, while considering the case, the apex Court bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra clarified that the doctors must go back to work, especially now that the Supreme Court has taken steps for institutionalization of the safety of medical professionals. 

Noting that the doctors are willing to go back to work but want some protection against instances of violence, the Apex Court bench directed the Union Health Secretary to discuss with the Chief Secretaries of the States and the Director General of Police to ensure the safety within 1 week. After that, the states will have to take appropriate actions within 2 weeks, as clarified by the CJI. 

Also read- Kolkata doctor rape-murder: FAIMA ends strike, resume duty after SC appeal

However, the agitating junior doctors decided to continue the stir until they got justice for the PG doctor, appropriate protection at the workplace and action against the culprits. This casework has severely hit healthcare services at state-run hospitals in West Bengal. 

"Our protest will continue till we see the culprits punished. We are not here for anything else. We cannot call off the demonstration suddenly unless our demand is fulfilled," an agitating doctor at the RGKMCH told PTI.

The decision not to resume Outdoor Patient Department (OPD) services at the RG Kar Hospital, where one of their colleagues was murdered and raped on August 9, was taken at a general body meeting of the protesting doctors’ association even as the state government appointed Manas Banerjee as the new principal of the institution.

"Barring the emergency services we would carry on the cease-work in the non-emergency services," said a representative of the medics on a day when the Apex Court slammed the West Bengal government for delay in filing the first information report (FIR) in the murder and rape.

Medics at the RG Kar Hospital said another meeting representing 21 medical institutions across the state would separately decide to end the ongoing protest for better security for doctors.

Patient footfall declined:

As per PTI report, the flow of patients at the different government hospitals seemed to dry up as the ceasework by junior doctors continued. 

"For the last couple of days, the number of patients has decreased even though our senior doctors are attending outpatient departments (OPDs) and emergency units. This is because people are aware of the agitation of junior medics," a senior doctor of the SSKM Hospital said.

Notably, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a probe into the alleged rape and murder of the woman doctor in the state-run hospital.

Apart from demanding justice for the woman medic, the junior doctors have been pressing for the removal of several officials in the RGKMCH's administration.

Why still protesting despite the Supreme Court appeal?

The protesting junior doctors clarified that they will continue their stir until all the culprits are punished hinting that more than one person is involved in the case. They said that the fact that only one person has been arrested though 13 days have passed since the rape and murder is the primary reason for them to continue their casework despite the supreme court appeal to resume work. 

During the hearing, Advocate Sibal urged the Court to clarify a standard operative procedure to maintain law and order in the State. Taking note of the concerns expressed by Advocate Sibal the Supreme Court observed, "This court has not injuncted the state from exercising such lawful powers as entrusted in law, however, we categorically affirm that peaceful protests shall not be disturbed and the state shall not take action against those peacefully protesting against the incident at RG Kar College".

Commenting on the progress of CBI in the case, the protesting doctors at RG Kar Hospital told The Telegraph, "In the nine days since the CBI took over the probe, they have not been able to know anything about the progress in the investigation. Following this, they feel that the CBI probe has not given them any reasons to end their cease-work.

A postgraduate trainee at RG Kar said, “What is the CBI doing? What have they found so far? We know nothing about it. We are quite unhappy and disappointed with how the probe is progressing. Even during Thursday’s Supreme Court hearing, we could not get to know anything about the progress in the investigation."

“If the CBI believes that evidence has been tampered with, they should come out and say it. If they think evidence has not been tampered with, they should say that in public, too. Do they think more than one person was involved in the crime? The CBI is not saying anything,” said another postgraduate trainee.

Also read- No Action Against Protesting Doctors, but They Must Go Back to Work: Supreme Court orders Centre, States to Ensure Safety