Indian doctors call for nationwide strike after rape and murder of Calcutta doctor | Protest news

Amid growing public anger over the brutal attack, hospitals are suspending non-essential services and medical procedures on Saturday.

Amid growing public anger over the rape and murder of a medical student in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta last week, Indian doctors have called for a nationwide closure of hospitals.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country's largest medical association, said the 24-hour closure would come into effect on Saturday and would affect most hospital departments except essential services.

The closure came after thousands of people took to the streets in several cities to express their outrage over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor-in-training whose battered body was found at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.

“Doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence due to the nature of their profession. It is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure the safety of doctors in hospitals and on campus,” the IMA said in a statement on X released on Thursday.

#JusticeForDoctors pic.twitter.com/E3FLJjl9FJ

— Indian Medical Association (@IMAIndiaOrg) 16 August 2024

Numerous state and private doctors' unions supported the strike.

In protest, doctors at public hospitals in several states stopped scheduled operations “indefinitely” on Monday.

Indian media reported that the murdered doctor was found in the seminar room of the teaching hospital, suggesting that she had stopped there for a short rest during a long shift.

An autopsy confirmed sexual abuse. Doctors say the circumstances of the rape highlighted the vulnerability of medical professionals who had to cope without adequate protection and facilities.

Although police arrested a man who worked at the hospital and helped people navigate long queues, state government officials were accused of mishandling the case.

Little has changed

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), more than 31,000 rapes were reported in 2022, the latest year for which data is available.

The gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in Delhi, northern India, in 2012 sparked nationwide protests and outrage over the country's failure to combat sexual violence against women.

Around the time of the attack in 2012, police across India were registering up to 25,000 rape cases per year, according to NCRB data.

Since 2012, the government has made sweeping changes to the criminal justice system, including harsher penalties and the death penalty for repeat offenders.

According to NCRB data, rape conviction rates ranged between 27 and 28 percent between 2018 and 2022.

In addition, the definition of rape has been expanded to include acts without penetration. In addition, the age limit for rape trials has been lowered so that 16-year-olds can be tried as adults.

But activists say that despite the stricter laws, little has changed.

Criminal defense attorney Rebecca M. John, who has represented numerous rape victims, said some rapists still believe they will get away with it.

“One of the factors would be the lack of fear of the law,” she said.