Junior doctors in West Bengal resumed their full strike on Tuesday, expressing frustration with what they say is the judiciary's insufficient response following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in August.
The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, representing around 7,000 physicians, had partially resumed services last month due to flooding in the state. However, the brutal assault and killing of the 31-year-old female doctor in Kolkata sparked widespread protests, with doctors demanding improved safety measures for women in the workplace and justice for their colleague. In response, India's Supreme Court established a task force to improve hospital security.
In a hearing on Monday, the court urged the state government to implement safety measures by October 15 to address the doctors' concerns. It also instructed the Information Ministry to ensure the victim's identity is protected, in line with legal requirements.
Despite these steps, the doctors voiced disappointment with the court's actions and announced a return to their full strike. "Without clear action on safety, patient care, and the intimidation we face, we have no option but to continue our strike," the group said in a statement.
Their demands include increased police presence in hospitals and an investigation into alleged corruption within medical colleges. The state, governed by the Trinamool Congress, has been slow to establish fast-track tribunals to address sexual crimes. According to Reuters, only six of the 123 promised tribunals, which were to be operational by March 2021, are currently in place.
Medics gathered in protest, chanting slogans to condemn the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a government-run hospital in Kolkata, India, on September 10, 2024.
