Kolkata: Around 70 Padma awardee doctors wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urging him to intervene and ensure justice in the rape-murder case of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital.
“We… write to you with deep concern and profound anguish regarding the horrific events that recently occurred at R G Kar Medical College in Kolkata. As the head of our nation, we implore your immediate and personal intervention to address this alarming situation. Such acts of brutality shake the very foundations of service by medical professionals and highlight the urgent need to address violence, particularly against women, girls, and health care professionals,” the letter stated.
The signatories included former AIIMS Delhi Randeep Guleria, Medanta The Medicity chairman and MD Naresh Trehan, Mahajan Imaging founder Harsh Mahajan, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute chairman, former ICMR director general Balram Bhargava, and Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences director SK Sarin.
“As recipients of one of the nation’s prestigious civilian honours, we feel a deep responsibility to speak out and demand timely action and appropriate changes… We earnestly appeal to you through this letter to safeguard the medical profession against physical assaults and defacement of the dignity and respect of all healthcare workers,” the doctors said.
They listed five demands in their letter to the PM — stricter enforcement of existing laws; harsher and time-bound punishments for perpetrators of sexual violence; enhanced safety measures in hospitals and medical institutions; enactment and implementation of a special law for the protection of healthcare workers; harshest possible punishment for violence against healthcare workers.
“The entire medical fraternity is united in this, and we also stand in solidarity. It was decided to convey our sentiments and opinion to the highest authority,” said Dr Mahajan.
On Saturday, Indian Medical Association (IMA) wrote to the PM requesting him to ensure women workers are safe at their workplaces.
Doctors across the country observed a 24-hour ceasework on Saturday.
