People gather and chant slogans during a protest condemning the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, India, on October 15, 2024. – Reuters
Junior doctors in Kolkata, India, called off a 17-day hunger strike on Monday, which was launched in protest against the rape and murder of a colleague, in response to an appeal by the victim's parents. The protesters also met with the chief minister of the opposition-led state, which has faced criticism for its handling of sex crimes, to demand better security and conditions at government hospitals, as well as justice for the woman. A police volunteer was arrested for the crime, which sparked nationwide protests in August and September, after the woman's body was found at the city's R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
Dr. Debasish Halder, a spokesman for the doctors, said, "The victim's parents expressed concerns about the health of the fasting junior doctors and the impact on healthcare services that must have affected hundreds of ordinary citizens." Some strike participants suffered severe dehydration and had to be hospitalized. The doctors reported that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee agreed to most of their demands during their meeting on Monday.
"Our movement for justice and a healthy, secure healthcare system will continue," Halder said, adding that the doctors would monitor the progress on her assurances and orders for change. Government hospitals across India lack basic amenities such as restrooms for doctors, security personnel, and closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV), according to doctors. India's Supreme Court has also taken up the matter, but junior doctors believe its efforts have not been sufficient to ensure justice.
Reuters reported that the government of West Bengal state has been slow to establish new tribunals for such crimes, while failing to deliver on its promises of better safety measures made to doctors in 2019. India adopted tougher laws to protect women after the horrific gang rape and murder of a woman in New Delhi in 2012, but activists argue that women are still vulnerable to sexual violence.
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