Kolkata: The 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in protest against the rape and murder of the woman doctor at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital drew to a close at 6 am on Sunday.
Non-essential services including OPDs and elective surgeries remained shut all through on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police have imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 144 of the CrPC), around the Medical College and Hospital for seven days, effective from Sunday.
During this period, rallies, meetings, processions, dharnas, demonstrations, and unlawful assembly of five or more persons will not be allowed there. The imposition was made “in regard to inputs and information received from credible sources, indicating sufficient reasons for violent demonstrations, rallies, and meetings by a section of the public or an organisation, thereby causing a breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquillity, health or safety, danger to human life, and obstruction to doctors, nursing staff, medical staff, and lawfully employed persons in the said area,” the order released on Saturday by the Commissioner of Police, Vineet Kumar Goyal, stated.
Bengal Revokes Transfer Of 42 Doctors In 24 Hours
The Health Department has revoked the transfer of 42 doctors posted at various medical colleges and hospitals across the state 24 hours after the order was issued following criticism over the move. Among those transferred, there are two doctors — Dr Sangeeta Paul and Dr Supriya Das — who were posted at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
“Today, news is being published about the transfer of 42 doctors. Our West Bengal government has almost 24 medical colleges. Apart from that, there are many specialized institutes in which there are more than 6000 doctors. In West Bengal, their promotional exercise of Medical Education Service, their routine transfer exercise is a very long process. This process started 2 months before this incident. Its approval was also done a lot of days before this incident. But we have to do a lot of checking on it. Therefore, it is possible that its publication got delayed…But looking at the situation here right now, we have to keep the service completely normal everywhere. Therefore, we have cancelled this order right now. After this, any further decision about it will be taken after a few days…,” Principal Secretary, West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department, Narayan Swaroop Nigam said.
Earlier, United Doctors Front Association strongly condemned the transfer move and said that such measures won’t silence the demands for justice and security. “We strongly condemn the @MamataOfficial @BengalGovernor unjust transfer of faculty members who supported our protest. These punitive measures will not silence our demands for justice and security. We stand united and resolute in our fight,” it said in a post on X.
Doctor’s Personal Diary
A personal diary maintained by the 31-year-old deceased doctor handed over by the parents to the probe team is the focus of the investigation.
Before leaving for her night shift at R G Kar Medical College on the fateful night, the victim made her last diary entry, in which she expressed her ambition to excel in her MD course and become a gold medalist, her father told a channel.
According to reports, investigators are examining the diary to determine if there were any documented interactions, threats, or altercations involving the accused, Sanjay Roy. Details that police have so far pieced together from the deceased doctor’s diary and from her parents indicated that she was under tremendous stress and work pressure the last few weeks, the TOI reported.
Her parents had previously informed investigators and the media that their daughter had expressed dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the hospital and had mentioned to her family that she was reluctant to return to work there. Colleagues and officials also pointed at numerous malpractices at the hospital and said anyone who dared stand up against the irregularities were “meted out some form of punishment”, the report added.
The CBI, meanwhile, questioned the former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr Sandip Ghosh for a second round amid allegations of attempts to “tamper with evidence” at the crime scene. Two TMC workers, several men in their teens or 20s, and a couple of women have so far been arrested with regard to the August 14 vandalism case.
‘Night Companion’ Initiative
The West Bengal government has also announced a slew of measures to ensure the safety of women at workplaces, particularly at state-run hospitals, where they work in night shifts. These include designated retiring rooms and CCTV-monitored ‘safe zones’.
Apart from hospitals and medical colleges, hostels and other places engaging women during night shifts will now come under the ambit of a flagship programme ‘Rattirer Sathi – Helpers of the Night’, comprising volunteers, Chief Advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, told a presser.
The government is also planning to develop a mobile app with alarm devices, which can be downloaded by women and used for communication with the respective local police stations in case of any emergency,
Breath analyser tests will be carried and night police patrolling will also be put in place at all medical colleges, hospitals and women’s hostels in the city and districts.
