Several doctors in India have returned to work following an 11-day strike triggered by the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a public hospital in Kolkata. However, protests continue in the city as people gather for demonstrations against the recent fatal sexual assault on a woman. This tragic incident occurred at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi announced that they resumed their duties after an appeal from the Supreme Court and a security assurance for the doctors. “Patient care remains our top priority,” the RDA stated in a post on social media platform X.
During a hearing on Thursday, the Supreme Court urged the doctors to return to work and affirmed that there should be no “coercive action” against peaceful demonstrators. The court also instructed local and national authorities to implement security measures within the next two weeks. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted a progress report regarding the investigation to the Supreme Court.
The tragic event, in which the 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered, has sparked intense public outrage, with doctors not being the only ones to protest. The Supreme Court has established a national task force of doctors to recommend measures to ensure the safety of healthcare personnel. “Protecting the safety of doctors and female doctors is a matter of national interest,” Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud stated during the hearing.
In the aftermath of this horrific incident, gender discrimination and violence against women have once again become central topics in the debate. Activists highlight that women in India continue to face sexual violence, despite the implementation of stricter laws following a series of high-profile cases, such as the brutal rape and murder of a 23-year-old student in New Delhi in 2012.
Although harsher penalties and fast-track courts for rape cases have been introduced, the situation for women remains alarming. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 31,516 rapes were reported in 2022, marking a 20 percent increase compared to 2021.
The recent rape and murder have raised questions about how the legal system and society as a whole can improve safety for women in the workplace and minimize the risk of sexual violence in the future.