Fight for justice, but continue to treat people

The gruesome rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week, along with the reported police machinations and the vandalism of the hospital by unknown thugs later this week, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. The anger in Indian civil society is palpable and understandable.

Public places like hospitals are considered unsafe for women, and the ability/willingness of authorities to go beyond lip service and requests has been questioned. However, calling for a day-long strike across India on Saturday or other days is not the right response. The strike will disrupt healthcare in public and private hospitals, inconveniencing many people in a country where reliable and affordable healthcare is already difficult to obtain. Many patients and caregivers in Kolkata are already affected and forced to travel long distances to receive proper and timely treatment. While they will support the cause of doctors and broader issues of workplace safety for women, inconvenience beyond a certain level could actually make the general public less sympathetic towards them. That would be unfortunate.

Strikes, like tariffs, are effectively a burden on the consumer. In most cases, the target – in this case, the government of West Bengal – gets off relatively lightly, while countless ordinary citizens end up as collateral damage. Rather than disrupting services, the protesting doctors should separate their strike from their perfectly legitimate protests and sensitize the public about why they are compelled to take to the streets. The fight for justice must continue, but not at the expense of the well-being of the citizens.