Indian doctors to be told to return to work after medical worker's murder sparks nationwide strikes | World News

India's chief justice has called on doctors to return to work after the rape and murder of a medical student sparked strikes and protests across the country.

Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud made these remarks before the Supreme Court a few days after it took cognizance of the case on its own initiative – that is, the court initiated legal proceedings on its own initiative without any formal application being filed.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation, West Bengal Police and the Calcutta High Court were all working on the case, but the Supreme Court ruled that the case was so important that it had to intervene.

The rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor-in-training at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9 has angered health experts across India.

Doctors argue that the killing highlights the vulnerability of health workers in hospitals and medical campuses across the country.

The murder also focused anger on the chronic problem of violence against women in India.

A 31-year-old volunteer was arrested and charged, but the victim's family claims it was a gang rape and that several people were involved.

Thousands of doctors protested and went on strike in the days following the murder – The strikes affected patients across the country.

The doctors are demanding stricter laws to protect them from violence, including making any attack on medical staff on duty a criminal offence and denying the possibility of bail.

Mr Chandrachud said the “brutality” of the doctor-educator's rape and murder had “shocked the consciousness of the nation”.

He added: “There is a lack of institutional security for doctors and the nation cannot wait for rapes or murders to occur before there is real change on the ground.”

Mr Chandrachud also asked the doctors to end their strikes, saying the court told them that if they returned to work, they would not be penalised for the protests or work stoppages they had taken part in so far.

In an unusual move that underscores the magnitude of the case, the Supreme Court has scrutinized details and timelines in police diaries and autopsy reports related to the murder.

The court criticised the West Bengal government and the state police for their handling of the case.

The case was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation on August 13.

Read more:
Bodies recovered from sunken yacht identified
Man arrested in Pakistan after riots in Britain
Andrew Tate's house searched on suspicion of child trafficking

It was established before the court a nine-member national task force by prominent doctors and health experts who will make recommendations on the safety of healthcare workers following the murder.

In this context, a nationwide action plan will be drawn up to ensure the safety of doctors and medical personnel, a protocol for dignified and safe working conditions will be established and safety rules in hospitals will be established.

Manish Jangra, founder of the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), told Sky News: “We welcome the order but are unhappy with the composition of the task force as most of the members are from private hospitals.”

“It is doctors from state hospitals who are exposed to violence. Our demand is that junior doctors and professors from state hospitals are also included, because they are the ones involved.”

“That could have happened to me”

Dr Prerana Modani, a pediatrician who joined her colleagues in a protest outside the Health Ministry in Delhi, told Sky News: “We are sitting here to provide outpatient services to the public because we no longer feel safe in our workplace.”

“We expected that our rights would be guaranteed sooner. Our basic need is security and until we have that, we will not stop. This could have happened to me.”

Dr. Akhila, an oncologist, said, “We want a central protection law to be introduced to ensure our safety.”

Dr. Manyata, an anesthesiologist, adds: “There are laws, but their implementation is very poor. We have no security, anyone can come to the hospitals at any time.”

The body of the murdered medical intern was found in the early hours of the morning on the third floor of a seminar room.

The case is reminiscent of the murder of a physiotherapy student in Delhi in 2012 – a murder that also sparked protests across India.

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 about 86 reported rapes per day nationwide. Conviction rates are also low.