Thousands of junior doctors across India are continuing their protests, disrupting hospital services nearly a week after they began a nation-wide movement. Their actions are in response to the tragic rape and murder of a 31-year-old female doctor in Kolkata on August 9.
The young doctor, who was a trainee at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, was brutally raped and murdered at the hospital. Police have arrested a volunteer associated with law enforcement in connection with the crime.
This horrifying incident has sparked outrage and fear among medical professionals, who are demanding a safer work environment and swift justice for their colleague. Despite government appeals for doctors to return to work and promises to create a committee for better protection, the protests continue.
Dr. Aniket Mahata, a spokesperson for the protesting junior doctors, stated that the indefinite strike and sit-in would persist until their demands are met.
The incident has also triggered wider public outcry, with thousands of supporters, including members of West Bengal’s two largest soccer clubs, marching through Kolkata demanding justice. Protests have spread to neighboring states like Odisha, the capital New Delhi, and Gujarat, where junior doctors are also refusing to back down.