Doctors in India 'living in fear' after doctor raped and murdered | World News

“We want justice, we want justice” echoes through the streets of the Indian capital.

Hundreds of doctors and medical staff were protesting on the streets of Delhi this weekend against the brutal rape and murder of their colleague.

It is an unprecedented campaign that has led to a 24-hour strike in all state hospitals.

Private doctors across the country also joined them in solidarity.

The Indian Medical Association, which has over 1,700 branches and 350,000 members, called for a strike lasting from 6 a.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Sunday.

This is the biggest industrial action by Indian doctors in a decade and means that all services except emergency care remain vacant.

The number of those affected is said to be around one million.

Dr Smita Malhotra, a pediatrician at the protest in Delhi, told Sky News: “This incident reflects the decay of our society, the disrespect towards women and towards the profession itself. The attacks on doctors are increasing day by day and are getting worse.”

The brutality of the crime has shocked everyone here.

On August 9, a doctor was resting after a long shift at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. The next morning, her body was found mutilated, sexually assaulted and murdered.

Her mother was the last person to speak to her at 11:15 p.m. When she tried to call her the next morning, she didn't answer.

Doctors at the hospital demanded a thorough investigation into the incident and a few nights later the hospital was vandalised. During a vigil, some doctors were beaten.

The Calcutta High Court intervened when it found the local police incapable of handling the case.

The investigation was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation, a federal agency.

A 31-year-old civilian has now been taken into custody.

“How can we work if we are not safe?”

Dr Kumari Acharya, a neurologist at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, told Sky News: “Atrocities against doctors occur every day, but doctors are usually not ready to protest against it as we know it would harm our patients.”

“But this time everyone came forward because it was such a serious incident.

“Hospitals are our homes, we spend many hours here and yet this happens to us. How can we help people if we ourselves are not safe?”

There was a brief standoff between doctors and police at Lady Harding Hospital.

To prevent the doctors from marching, officials locked the gates. However, after the protesters were assured that there would be no violent demonstration, they were finally allowed to enter the cordoned-off street.

Speaking to Sky News, Dr Pankaj Garg, a pediatrician at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said: “My daughter is an intern at Lady Harding Medical College.

“Three days ago she was on night duty, I called her three times in the night to ask if everything was OK. We parents have such fears today.”

The doctors' associations are calling for a nationwide, central protection law that provides for a fundamental redesign of working conditions and the guarantee of safe working spaces for practicing physicians.

They also demand a speedy investigation, justice and compensation for the family in the latest case.

Dr. Garg says: “If there is no safety in our hospitals, the health system will collapse.”

“We want a central protection law, the safety of our doctors is paramount. Lawmakers say this is a health issue, but the safety of a doctor is not a health issue, it is a fundamental right. The government must fulfill its fundamental duty and responsibility to protect me as a citizen.”

Case reminiscent of student murder of 2012

This case is a sad reminder of the brutal gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy student in Delhi in 2012.

The anger and rage over this incident sparked nationwide protests.

New laws have been passed, old ones tightened, penalties increased, and fast-track courts set up for crimes against women. But in reality, little seems to have changed.

The latest figures from the National Crime Records Bureau show that the number of rape cases in the country has increased.

In 2022, the police recorded 31,516 reports of rape, an increase of 20% over the previous year. That's around 86 rapes per day nationwide. Conviction rates are also low.

Dr. Acharya says, “Yesterday, after my shift, I was afraid to go to my office, so I stayed in the ward where there were more people.

“We live in fear. We have the choice of how we want to die: through illness or through brutal rape and murder.”

Doctors want protection and better working conditions – but many here have heard this before and hardly expect any change.