Indian doctors strike in protest against rape and murder of a colleague

STORY: Hospitals and clinics across India turned away patients on Saturday (August 17), except in emergency cases…

When medical staff went on a 24-hour strike to protest the rape and murder of a doctor in the eastern Zimbabwean city of Calcutta.

More than a million doctors were expected to join the strike, which paralyzed healthcare in the world's most populous country.

Among the protesters in New Delhi was Dr. Kanika Sahani.

“All doctors, nurses and medical staff work for the well-being of patients… But we cannot tolerate violence or threats against us or our children. We will not tolerate that.”

The government called on doctors to resume their duties in the public interest, saying in a statement that a committee would be set up to improve the protection of health workers.

Patients lined up outside hospitals, some of them unaware that their treatment would be affected by strikes.

Sushil Kumar is a patient at this hospital in Patna.

“About 50,000 patients come to the clinic for treatment every day. People come from far away and face many difficulties. There is no one here, the doctors say they will go on strike indefinitely and we don't know when the clinic will reopen.”

A 31-year-old doctor in training was raped and murdered last week in the medical college where she worked in Calcutta.

Her killing sparked nationwide protests and drew parallels to the infamous gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012.

According to news agency ANI, there was a heavy police presence outside the RG Kar Medical College, where the crime took place, on Saturday, while the hospital premises were deserted.