UDFA initiates nationwide protest, demands CBI inquiry into Kolkata doctor rape-murder case
New Delhi: After receiving no response from the government to their 48-hour ultimatum, the United Doctors Front Association (UDFA) announced a nationwide strike from today suspending all elective services in protest against the recent brutal rape and murder of a second-year postgraduate respiratory medicine student at R G Kar Medical College Hospital, Kolkata.
Addressing the Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and the Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, the association stated that they will be staging a nationwide protest commencing from 13th August 2024 after the authorities have failed to respond adequately within the stipulated 48-hour period.
"Despite our clear demands for justice and enhanced safety measures, the authorities have failed to respond adequately within the stipulated 48-hour period. In light of this continued inaction, UDFA will be staging a nationwide protest commencing from 13th August 2024. This protest is a necessary step to express our collective outrage and to press for the fulfillment of our demands," mentioned the letter.
Their demands include a fair and impartial CBI investigation into the circumstances surrounding the lady doctor's death, the immediate introduction and implementation of a central law to protect healthcare workers from violence, the declaration of hospitals and healthcare establishments as "safe zones' with clearly defined security measures, including the establishment of police camps in major government hospitals and mandatory security protocols for large private and the installation of CCTV cameras at all vulnerable points within healthcare facilities to deter potential acts of violence.
Apart from this, the association also demanded the formation of an expert committee comprising representatives from the medical community and associations. It stated that the committee must be formed to speed up ratifying the Central Healthcare Protection Act which they claimed to be an urgent necessity and should be completed without delay with a tentative timeline for ratification.
Medical Dialogues had reported that the half-naked body of the PG doctor of R G Kar Medical College was recovered from the Seminar Hall by the hospital staff. A preliminary autopsy report has indicated sexual abuse before she was killed.
The inquest report prepared by the police recorded bleeding from both the eyes and her mouth, injury on the face and nails, bleeding from her genitals, and several other injury marks in different parts of the body. After this doctors across the country started a massive protest demanding justice for their colleague's rape and murder.
Expressing concern over the lack of action by the government following their ultimatum issued on August 10, UDFA stated, "The horrific nature of this crime, committed within the confines of an educational institution, underscores the pressing need for immediate and decisive measures to ensure the safety and security of medical professionals across the nation.
The continued neglect of the safety of medical professionals not only jeopardizes the lives of those who serve on the frontlines of healthcare but also erodes public trust in our healthcare system. We urge the government to reconsider its stance and engage in meaningful dialogue with UDFA to address these critical issues. The medical fraternity cannot continue to operate under the constant threat of violence, and we demand the necessary legal and security measures be implemented without further delay."
Coming in support of the association, the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) will also mobilise medical students across the nation to join and participate in the protest.
"We hope that you will give due consideration to our demands in the interest of safeguarding the lives and well-being of healthcare workers across the nation. Failure to meet our demands will only escalate our protest actions until our voices are heard and our concerns are addressed," stated the association.
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