On Tuesday, October 1, Indian doctors in Kolkata began their walkout once more in protest of the vicious rape and killing of their 31-year-old coworker at a government-run hospital in August. The West Bengal government's refusal to carry out pledged safety upgrades in hospitals is the reason behind the walkout.
The killing, which left the victim's bleeding corpse in the hospital, sparked public indignation over the ongoing problem of violence against Indian women. The doctors had first gone back to work at emergency rooms, but they ultimately made the decision to cease operations once more following a union meeting.
The West Bengal administration, according to union spokesman Aniket Mahato, had not fulfilled its promises to improve hospital security. "The state government has failed to provide safety and security in the workplace," Mahato told the Associated Press.
Physicians now want to go back out on the streets and demand that the government keep its word and bring justice to their colleague who was killed. Mahato stressed that hospital safety improvements, such as better lighting and CCTV cameras, were still pending.
Tens of thousands of common Indians have joined the physicians in protesting the incident, voicing their outrage at the lack of action taken to shield female healthcare workers from violence. The demonstrations bring to light the widespread dissatisfaction regarding women's safety in the workplace.
The people of West Bengal have harshly condemned the government for the manner it has handled the situation, despite the fact that a guy has been arrested in connection with the crime. Many have criticized the authorities for their tardiness in ensuring hospital security or carrying out a thorough investigation into the murder.
The state administration fired the head of the city's police department and a number of senior health ministry officials in response to the growing pressure. Protesters and medical professionals, however, are still not happy with the actions made thus far.
In an effort to enhance security for medical staff, the Indian Supreme Court has weighed in on the issue and ordered the formation of a national task committee. The court described the murder as "shocking to the conscience of the nation" and reiterated how urgent it is to act.
Given how vicious the attack was, it has been compared to the notorious 2012 Delhi bus gang rape and murder of a young woman, which also generated weeks of protests and calls for more safety precautions for women.
A increasing number of Kolkata-based medical professionals are pressuring the government to honor its pledge to establish safe working conditions for all medical professionals, particularly women. They plan to continue their protests and walkouts until their demands are met.
A renewed push for institutional change to stop other deaths has resulted from the case's widespread exposure of the risks that female doctors and other healthcare workers confront on a daily basis.
