Protest over Kolkata doctor’s rape, murder: Doctors told to call off stir, medical body assures them of demands

Doctors seek better campus security

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Around 8,000 resident doctors across 27 government medical colleges and four BMC run ones are engaged in the stir. (Express Archives)

Medical education commissioner of Maharashtra Rajiv Nivatkaron Wednesday appealed to resident doctors across the state to call off the stir and assured their demands will be met. On Wednesday afternoon the commissioner addressed deans of government medical colleges and resident doctors via a video conference and later followed it with a written statement assuring their demands will be met.

Dr Ajay Chandanwale, joint director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), who also holds the charge as director, said that a meeting was held that afternoon and an appeal was sent out to resident doctors. “We have assured them about meeting their demands,” Dr Chandanwale said.

Around 8,000 resident doctors across 27 government medical colleges and four BMC run ones are engaged in the stir. From Pune, around 400 resident doctors from B J Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital supported the nationwide stir to halt elective services as a mark of protest against the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata.

Also Read | Kolkata doctor’s rape-murder: Accused’s wife complained of assault twice, police took no action

Dr Eknath Pawar, dean of B J Medical College, said that elective surgeries were fewer as compared to the previous days. “Today we were able to conduct 33 major surgeries and 41 minor ones. We have now called a meeting on Thursday to step up security measures on the campus,” Dr Pawar said.

While the stir till Wednesday had not been called off, Dr Pawar said that OPDs will remain shut on August 15 since it is a holday.

Dr Shivaji Munde, president of B J Medical College unit of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) said they received the letter from the DMER assuring their demands will be met.

The demand to improve security measures was agreed to through the formation of a security council, fresh security audits and installation of more CCTV cameras across the campus. A security audit committee will look at the safety issues on the campus. Regarding the long term demands, Dr Shinde said that state authorities agreed to look into matters such as repairing hostels and building compound walls.

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Earlier in the day, doctors with the Progressive Doctors League and Stree Mukti League held a protest march to the District Collectorate’s office. Dr Jaiwardhan Jumde, coordinator of the Progressive Doctors League, said they strongly condemned the brutal rape and murder of the second year resident doctor at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College.”The incident clearly highlights the lack of security provided by the administration,” Dr Jumde said.

At the central MARD unit, resident doctors have demanded for an impartial and transparent investigation of the crime by a central authority apart from the implementation of a Central Healthcare Protection Act.

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