New Delhi/Kolkata: Following the Calcutta High Court order, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began its probe into the woman doctor rape and murder case in Kolkata even as the medicos continued their protests across the country. A team of CBI officials along with forensic experts would step up their full-fledged investigation from Wednesday.
Earlier, the HC has instructed the Kolkata police to transfer the case relating to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association has written to Union Health Minister J P Nadda seeking enactment of a special central law to curb attacks and violence against doctors as a "deterrence" measure, besides the declaration of hospitals as safe zones.
The IMA made the demands, which included defined security measures, as resident doctors at government hospitals across the country held protests and strikes on Monday and Tuesday over the recent rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee in Kolkata, raising the issue of the safety of medical staff in the workplace.
The Association said that 25 states have laws on attacks on doctors and hospitals but these are mostly ineffective on the ground and do not serve the purpose of deterrence.
"The absence of a special central enactment is one of the reasons. We kindly request you to reconsider introducing the Draft Legislation "The Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of violence and damage to property) Bill, 2019, incorporating the amendments in the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, approved and passed by the Parliament in Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020," the IMA said.
The 2019 bill drafted by the Health Ministry to check violence against doctors and other healthcare professionals was put on the back burner after the Home Ministry stated that there was no need for a separate law in this regard. The draft bill had provisions to punish people who assault on-duty doctors and other healthcare professionals by imposing a jail term of up to 10 years.
The IMA had on Saturday given a 48-hour ultimatum to authorities to arrest the culprits in the Kolkata case and warned of a nationwide stir. "This crime is an index of the anarchy and insecurity prevailing in the campus. IMA HQs mourns the death of this precious daughter of India and condemns the existing situations that enabled this crime to be committed with impunity inside the campus.
"If safety and security cannot be ensured in the citadels of learning, it only indicates the incompetence of the administration," the IMA said in the letter on Monday. The IMA also sought an appointment with Nadda. The Association in the letter said that the doctors of this country have been suffering for the past few decades due to the violence unleashed on them.
"Pedestrian working conditions, inhuman workload and violence in the workplace are the reality. Doctors take huge stress on themselves. Doctors deserve better consideration from the governments. The murder of this young lady doctor is not the first neither it would be the last if corrective measures are not taken," it said.
The doctors' body also questioned why hospitals have not been declared safe zones. "We can never fathom out why our airports are safe zones with three-layer security while hospitals are given a pause. "Neither do we understand why violence on airline staff and their work disruptions deserve special legislations while doctors and hospitals are expected to fend for themselves," the letter said.
The IMA demanded that hospitals across the country should be declared as safe zones. "Law should define the entitlement of the term safe zone," it said. All major government hospitals should have police camps and adequate security personnel and similar security arrangements should be made mandatory in large private hospitals, it said.
Besides, it said that CCTV cameras in vulnerable points should be made compulsory. From the West Bengal state government, the IMA demanded an impartial thorough investigation into the case and punishment to the culprits, besides a detailed inquiry into the conditions enabling the crime. "IMA had given an ultimatum of two days on the above demands. IMA HQs is in consultation with the state branches on further action in this regard," it said.
Protests across country
Junior doctors across West Bengal continued ceasework on Tuesday protesting the rape and murder of the woman doctor at a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata and demanding justice for her. The stir affected healthcare services as long queues of patients were seen at out-patient departments (OPDs) of all government hospitals since early Tuesday morning as senior doctors were substituting their junior counterparts to address the rush.
The agitating junior doctors, who have been pressing for magisterial probe into the killing of the woman doctor and removal of senior officials from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Tuesday set a deadline of August 14 for the Kolkata Police to complete their investigation. "The ceasework and protest will continue till our demands are met. We have been very clear about our demands. We want a judicial probe into the incident," a protesting junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital said. "Why do they need a deadline till Sunday? We are asking the police to complete their investigation by Wednesday," he added. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after paying a visit to the parents of the deceased on Monday, gave a deadline of August 18 to Kolkata Police to solve the case, failing which she said she would hand over the matter to the CBI.
Maharashtra resident doctors on indefinite strike
Resident doctors in Maharashtra started an indefinite strike on Tuesday morning in support of the nationwide protests by their colleagues against the rape-murder of the post-graduate trainee in Kolkata. All elective services in hospitals across the state have been halted, but emergency services will continue uninterrupted, Maharashtra State Association of Residential Doctors (Central-MARD) president Dr Pratik Debaje told PTI. "From 9 am, we have stopped work at all OPDs (out-patient departments) and elective services have been stopped. Now, only emergency services are operational across the state," Dr Debaje said.
Junior doctors boycott work at Ranchi's RIMS
Junior doctors at state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on Tuesday started 'pen-down' agitation by boycotting OPD services and elective surgeries in protest against the rape and murder of the woman doctor.
The agitating doctors demanded a CBI probe into the rape and murder of the woman doctor in Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. "Around 200 doctors have joined the agitation and senior resident doctors have also supported our stir. Our protest excludes emergency services as we do not want any patient in need to suffer," Ankit Kumar, president of Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) at RIMS, told PTI.
Jaipur govt doctors on strike
Medical services at government facilities in Jaipur, including the largest state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, were affected as resident doctors went on a strike in protest against the alleged rape and murder of the medic. On Monday evening, the Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors (JARD) announced immediate suspension of non-essential services.
NCW team visits Kolkata hospital
A two-member team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) visited state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday morning. They went to the seminar hall where the woman doctor was raped and murdered. The two-member team led by Delina Khongdup went to meet the investigating officers at Kolkata Police's headquarters at Lalbazar after reaching the city, before going to the victim's Panihati residence to meet the parents. Khongdup described the crime as "heinous" and "very unfortunate incident".
The body of the woman doctor was found in a seminar hall at the hospital on Friday morning, and a civic volunteer was arrested on Saturday in connection with the crime. (With agency inputs)
