Patients were denied admissions at hospitals and clinics across India on Sunday as more than a million doctors prepare to join a strike to protest the rape and murder of a medical trainee, Indian media reported.
Earlier, doctors went on a nationwide strike and protested against the rape and murder of a female colleague in the West Bengal city of Kolkata on August 9. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) termed the murder as a barbaric offence.
The very next day, protests broke out in Kolkata by medical professionals and supporters of women’s rights. The IMA demanded immediate action from the authorities to investigate the murder and promised to organise protests across the country if this did not happen in 48 hours. Two days later, on August 12, the IMA announced a strike. It made four demands: security guarantees to all peaceful protesters, swift justice for the raped and murdered woman, the establishment of a protocol for the safety of health workers in all hospitals and its strict enforcement.
Tens of thousands of women took to the streets of Kolkata to protest on the night of August 14-15. At midnight, they took burning torches to the streets and organised a procession with Indian flags and placards in their hands. The protest was held under the slogan “Take back the night.” They demanded justice and the right to be safely in public spaces at any time of the day. The women of Kolkata were supported by protesters in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune.
Sexual violence against women is widespread in India, with an average of around ninety rapes a day reported in 2022.
The Indian government has urged medics to return to their jobs and not go on strike, as the public interest requires it, according to officials. Officials have promised to set up a committee to work out measures to better protect health workers, it said.
