Thousands of Indian doctors refused to end protests on Monday, demanding safer working conditions and justice in the case of a medic who was raped and killed while on duty earlier this month.
The unprecedented refusal to resume duties reflects growing frustration within India’s medical community, which has long complained about unsafe workplaces, understaffing, and increasing incidents of violence against medical personnel. Across major cities, doctors’ associations expressed solidarity, stressing that the incident has become a symbol of deeper systemic failures in hospital security and gender safety.
Health care professionals across the country halted care for non-emergency patients and held candlelight marches and protests following the Aug. 9 rape and murder of a 31-year-old medic and trainee. Authorities say the incident happened while she was working at a state-run hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata.
A police volunteer who was working at the hospital has been taken into custody and charged with the crime. The victim's family alleges more individuals were involved in the incident.
Female activists who have taken to the streets to protest say the incident brings to light the sexual violence women in India face despite stricter laws established in 2012 after the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus.
This wave of demonstrations has drawn support from civil society groups, women’s rights advocates, and medical students, all of whom argue that the tragedy has once again exposed the gap between existing laws and ground-level implementation. The 2012 reforms were meant to significantly enhance safety and speed up justice for survivors, but activists insist that cultural change and stronger enforcement are still lacking.
Protesters are demanding stricter laws surrounding attacks on on-duty medics, including making any attack a crime without the possibility of bail and increasing security at hospitals.
Doctors’ unions have emphasized that many hospitals do not have functioning CCTV systems, secure duty rooms, or adequate staffing during night shifts—factors that leave medical workers, especially women, vulnerable. Their demands also highlight the emotional toll on young professionals who already work in high-pressure environments with limited institutional support.
The government is asking doctors to return to work and has said that it will set up a committee to evaluate the demands.
Officials have urged medical staff to balance public safety with protest action, noting that prolonged disruptions could affect patient care nationwide. At the same time, they acknowledged the seriousness of the incident and promised that the committee would include representatives from various medical bodies to ensure transparency and fairness in the review process.
According to the Associated Press, the National Crime Records Bureau noted a 20% increase in reports of rape in the country from 2021 to 2022 with 31,516 reports.
Some information for this story came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
(VOA/SP)
