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[Global Times Special Correspondent Bai Yuan, Global Times Special Correspondent in India Cao Chong] According to the Times of India on the 18th, in order to express anger and show solidarity over the rape and murder of a female intern doctor in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, on the 9th, doctors across India responded to the call of the Indian Medical Association and held a general strike on the 17th, stopping non-essential medical services including outpatient clinics and routine surgeries. The doctors participating in the strike demanded that the state legislate to protect medical staff from workplace violence, and at the same time demanded that justice be served to the doctor who was raped and murdered as soon as possible. The victim was raped and killed while sleeping in a hall of a hospital in Kolkata in the early morning of the 9th. Indian police have arrested a man involved in the case. Since the incident, Indian doctors and women's groups have held protests many times.

On August 16, 2024, local time, Indian doctors continued to hold protest demonstrations. (Visual China)

Emergency care may be suspended

According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian on the 17th, the nationwide doctors' strike has caused heavy damage to hospitals. It is estimated that 1 million doctors will participate in the strike on the 17th. India's medical services have been paralyzed, and some hospitals have said that they have to use medical school faculty and staff to provide emergency medical services.

The Times of India reported that more than 800 private hospitals in Pune responded to the call of the Indian Medical Association and participated in the strike on the 17th. The head of the Pune branch of the Indian Medical Association said that the strike may affect about 10,000 minor and major surgeries originally scheduled for last weekend in the Pune area.

Reuters reported that although the 24-hour strike launched by the Indian Medical Association ended on the 18th, some Indian junior doctors still did not go to work that day, demanding justice for the victims of rape and murder. Staff of the Indian Medical Association said that most doctors had resumed their normal work on the 18th.

Paliwal, head of the Uttar Pradesh chapter of the Indian Medical Association, said that if the government does not take any strict measures to ensure the safety of doctors, they will take further action, including stopping emergency medical services.

The Indian Express reported that patient care had been affected for seven consecutive days, a situation not seen in the past decade, but doctors believe their protest is crucial to the long-term safety of patients and medical staff.

Hope the Prime Minister will intervene

The Indian Medical Association published an open letter to Prime Minister Modi on the social platform X on the 17th, proposing legislation to protect medical staff and hospitals, raising the security level of hospitals to the level of airports, comprehensively checking the working and living conditions of residents, giving a timetable for the investigation of the case, and compensating the families of the victims.

The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a statement on the 17th saying that it had met with representatives of the Indian Medical Association and other institutions, and promised to set up a committee composed of all stakeholders including state governments to solicit suggestions on measures to protect the safety of medical staff. The ministry also called on striking doctors to return to work as soon as possible for the public interest. The report also revealed that 26 states in India have enacted laws to protect the safety of medical staff in the state.

According to the Indian Express, the West Bengal government announced a series of measures on the 17th to protect the safety of women working night shifts, including designated rest rooms and monitored security areas. The report said that the state government launched a "night shift companion" program, covering hospitals, hotels and other women who need to work at night. The West Bengal government also plans to develop a mobile application that all working women must download and install. The application is linked to the local police agency, so that they can quickly contact the police in case of emergency.

'Still in 2012'

The Times of India reported on the 18th that in response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, the mother of the victim of the 2012 Indian bus gang rape and murder case accused Indian politicians of shirking responsibility and believed that the focus should be shifted to ensuring women's safety and legislative reform. She also believed that India had not learned a lesson from the 2012 bus gang rape and murder case, and Indian society was still stuck in 2012. Some netizens commented that the recent rape and murder case involving a female trainee doctor in Kolkata shocked the conscience of the entire country. This heinous act was not only a violation of individual rights, but also reflected the institutional failure that allowed such incidents to continue to occur.

In 2013, India introduced a law to increase the punishment for sexual violence and sexual assault. Repeated rapists or those who raped others and caused serious injuries and coma could be sentenced to death. According to AFP, there were nearly 90 rape cases in India every day in 2022.

According to the observation of the Global Times' special correspondent in India, many universities in India, such as Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, also held marches in support of the doctors' strike. Some students' marches in support continued on the 18th, shouting slogans such as "protect doctors' safety" and "protect women".