New Delhi:

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced a 24-hour nationwide hunger strike on October 15 to support doctors in West Bengal, seeking justice for the young doctor who was raped and murdered at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

The announcement comes as a fast-unto-death agitation by junior doctors at the hospital entered the ninth day, with three hospitalised so far.

“The nationwide action will be led by IMA Junior Doctors Network and Medical Students Network,” the IMA said in a statement on Sunday.

“Across the country, IMA Junior Doctors’ Network (JDN) will organise fasting from dawn to dusk between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday. IMA JDN will coordinate with RDAs as well as support their local actions,” the statement said.

“Young doctors of Kolkata are on a Fast-Unto-Death struggle for their legitimate demands. They are on their ninth day of fasting. Three of them have been hospitalised. The movement has the support of the people. IMA has appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to accept their demands,” it added.

Further, the IMA noted that its National President RV Asokan met the fasting young doctors. Its Bengal unit is actively supporting young doctors at the agitation.

“IMA Bengal has declared solidarity by fasting on Sunday in all the local branches,” the statement said.

The IMA has also urged all office bearers and resident doctors in the country to join the fast. The doctors’ body noted that the fasting/protest venue “should be ideally in their medical colleges or near the campuses”.

Meanwhile, the doctors posted with different private hospitals in West Bengal announced that they would go for partial cease-work for 48 hours from October 14.

The partial cease-work will start at 6 a.m. October 14 and continue till 6 a.m. on October 16. Only the emergency medical services in these private hospitals will be available during this period.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow:

BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday said incidents of crime against women were “extremely worrying”, and asked political parties to rise above party politics and take “strict steps” to prevent them.

Her remarks come against the backdrop of the nationwide outcry over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and also cases of rape of girls in other parts of the country.

“The incidents of rape, murder and suicide, especially of innocent girls and women, happening in Bengal, Badlapur in Maharashtra, Bihar, and Kannauj, Agra and Farrukhabad districts of Uttar Pradesh are extremely sad and worrying,” the former chief minister said on X.

1. देश में कभी बंगाल, कभी महाराष्ट्र के बदलापुर, कभी बिहार में तो कभी यूपी के कन्नौज, आगरा व फर्रूखाबाद ज़िले आदि में भी मासूम बच्चियों नाबालिग़ व महिलाओं पर ख़ासकर रेप, हत्या व आत्महत्या आदि की हो रही घटनाएं अति-दुःखद व चिन्ताजनक। 1/2

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 29, 2024

“The Centre and all state governments should rise above party politics and take strict steps in this matter so that such incidents stop happening. Politics should not be done in its guise. This is the need of the hour and also in the interest of women,” she added.

2. केन्द्र व सभी राज्य सरकारें, इस मामले में दलगत राजनीति से ऊपर उठकर सख़्त कदम उठाएं, ताकि ऐसी घटनायें जल्दी होना बन्द हो, ना कि इसकी आड़ में राजनीति की जाए, यही समय की मांग है तथा यही महिलाओं के हित में भी है। 2/2

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 29, 2024

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

Three days and a midnight massacre at her Emergency Department later, RG Kar Hospital’s new principal Suhrita Pal lost her cool with the students today. 

As protesting doctors demanded that she take immediate action regarding the midnight mob attack and meet the students’ demands, Ms Pal said, “If you can’t trust me for one hour then send me home also”. 

The reference was to her predecessor Sandip Ghosh, who has been sent on a long leave by the High Court which was furious over his new posting less than 12 hours after his resignation.

“I need one hour to do some official work. You need to believe me, I won’t go. You have to believe me. If you can’t believe me then don’t expect anything from me,” Suhrita Pal said.

New Delhi:

Doctors of several hospitals across India have announced an indefinite strike to protest against the gruesome rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital. Doctors in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and several other cities have announced that all elective services would be halted till a probe is completed in the case. The protesters are also demanding adequate security for all medical staff.

The announcement comes days after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata while on duty.

The body of the 32-year-old woman was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in the West Bengal capital on Thursday night. The initial autopsy report stated that the victim was bleeding from her eyes, mouth and private parts. There were also injuries on her left leg, neck, right hand, ring finger and lips.

City Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal visited the medical establishment on Sunday for the second time in three days and held a meeting with representatives of agitating junior doctors.

He claimed the probe is “transparent” and urged people not to spread rumours.

Police have arrested one person in the case, a civic volunteer who is not associated with the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, but used to frequent the place.

The man, Sanjoy Roy, had returned to his place and went to sleep before washing his clothes the next morning to destroy evidence, a police officer probing the case claimed.