Medic's rape-murder: Health care services affected in Bengal as doctors continue cease work

Kolkata, August 23

Health care services were severely hit at state-run hospitals in West Bengal on Friday as junior doctors continued their cease work for the 15th consecutive day to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) here.

They decided to continue the stir despite the Supreme Court's appeal to them to resume work.

"Our protest will continue till we see the culprits punished. We are not here for anything else. We cannot call off the demonstration suddenly unless our demand is fulfilled," an agitating doctor at the RGKMCH told PTI.

The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated its appeal to the doctors protesting over the rape and killing of the medic to resume work and directed that no coercive action would be taken against them.

The court said judges and doctors cannot strike since they deal with matters involving life and liberty.

The flow of patients at the different government hospitals seemed to dry up as the cease work by junior doctors continued.

"For the last couple of days, the number of patients has decreased even though our senior doctors are attending outpatient departments (OPDs) and emergency units. This is because people are aware of the agitation of junior medics," a senior doctor of the SSKM Hospital said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a probe into the alleged rape and murder of the woman doctor in the state-run hospital.