OPD and hospital services hit as protests continue over Kolkata doctor rape and murder case

New Delhi: A pan-India doctors’ protest continues on Tuesday, halting elective services, including outpatient care and non-emergency surgeries, at several state-run hospitals. Resident doctors at state-run hospitals across the country are protesting against the gruesome rape and murder of a female post-graduate doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The protesting doctors are demanding a fair probe into the Kolkata case and better safety measures at hospitals. The unrest has cut outpatient services as well as elective surgeries and restricted admissions at state-run hospitals across the country.

The ongoing strikes are a response to a call by FORDA (Federation of Resident Doctors Associations), which said that “the strike will not stop unless justice is done and our demands are met.” “Despite extensive discussions with the Union (health) minister’s team, no concrete resolution was arrived at, leading to the continuation of the strike,” read a statement released by FORDA on Monday. The association’s demands include immediate acceptance of the concerns of residents at RG Kar Medical College, a guarantee against police brutality and respectful treatment of protesting doctors, and speedy justice along with compensation to the family of a deceased person involved in the dispute.

The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) had also called for a nationwide shutdown of OPD services from August 13 in protest against the sexual assault and murder of the Kolkata doctor.

The body of a postgraduate student was found inside the seminar hall of the government-run R G Kar Medical College on August 9. The 31-year-old victim hailed from Sodepur and was on duty on Thursday evening when the incident took place. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if the state police fail to crack the case and arrest all the accused by Sunday.

Patients who return without consultation

In the national capital, resident doctors at several hospitals are continuing their strike causing hardship to patients who visited the outpatient departments of medical centres only to be turned back without any consultation.

The affected hospitals in the city include All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital and Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital.

Autopsy reveals gruesome details

Kolkata police handed over the post-mortem report to the doctor’s family, which revealed grim details about the incident. According to the post-mortem findings, the doctor’s death was classified as homicidal and ante-mortem, meaning it occurred before she was found. The report confirms that the victim was sexually assaulted and several injury marks were found on her private parts.

Following the assault, the woman was killed by strangulation, i.e. pressure on the neck, and then suffocation, which caused her death. Reports revealed that the accused had assaulted the victim when she tried to resist and protect herself.

According to the autopsy, cut marks were found on the victim’s hands and face. The report also stated that a strong blow caused her glasses to break and glass fragments to enter her eyes. The report revealed that the victim sustained head injuries when the accused slammed her against the wall.