RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: Doctors' Association Begins Nationwide Hunger Strike | LIVE

Doctors' hunger strike: A day after 50 senior doctors and faculty members of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata resigned, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has called for a nationwide strike on Wednesday (October 9). The strike is in protest of the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal. The doctors' association held a meeting on Monday, announcing that the hunger strike would begin on Wednesday, marking two months since the incident on August 9 involving the trainee doctor.

FAIMA President Suvrankar Datta said, "We have been in close contact with the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front and are united in our stance." He emphasized that the hunger strike aims to support junior doctors advocating for better working conditions and safety reforms.

Junior doctors have been protesting for weeks, calling for justice and the removal of the health secretary. Dr. Abid Hasan expressed disappointment at the lack of communication from the government, saying, “We are making a sincere effort to communicate, and we remain positive.”

The nationwide hunger strike is expected to amplify the ongoing demands of medical professionals across the country. Stay tuned to republicworld.com for all the latest updates on the ongoing doctors' protest and the nationwide hunger strike:

• Aparna Setia, president of Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) RDA, said doctors are holding a symbolic hunger strike during working hours from 9 am to 4 pm on Wednesday. "During this period, we will abstain from eating or drinking to express our support for the junior doctors in West Bengal who have been on a hunger strike," said Setia.
• Doctors at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital also joined in on Wednesday, wearing black ribbons as a symbol of solidarity and remembrance for their murdered colleague, while the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of AIIMS-Delhi announced a candle march scheduled for 6 pm at JLN Stadium.
• Doctors at Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi on Wednesday began a one-day hunger strike to show solidarity with junior doctors in West Bengal who are protesting the brutal rape and murder of a female medic.
• As per reports, the CBI is set to file a supplementary chargesheet in the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital. The chargesheet will accuse former principal Sandip Ghosh and a Kolkata Police official of concealing the crime and destroying evidence.
• The doctors' association has called on healthcare workers across the country to participate in the strike, to highlight unity among medical professionals in their fight for fair treatment and improved conditions, FAIMA said in a statement.
• The TMC leader also suggested that the government should accept all the resignations and issue notices for fresh recruitments, claiming, "Many capable doctors are waiting in line. Such anarchy during Durga Puja disturbs the Puja economy, and during the flood situation in the state, what the doctors are doing, even after the CBI chargesheet, is threat culture and blackmailing."
• Reacting to the 'mass resignation', TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, “The government is very responsible and tolerant. The doctors are engaging in a politics of blackmail and harassing patients. The government will do what it has to do.” Ghosh added, "The mass petition that the doctors are signing is illegal. They should submit individual resignations; why should they resign from their duty? They should resign from their job."
• On Tuesday, around 50 senior doctors and faculty members of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata resigned in solidarity with their junior colleagues, who are on a hunger strike protesting the rape and murder of the trainee doctor.
• Junior doctors continued their protest on Tuesday, demanding justice for the RG Kar rape-murder victim. Earlier, they announced a 12-hour hunger strike from 9 am to 9 pm on Monday, protesting against the RG Kar case. They also held a symbolic rally and called on supporters to join them. Among their demands are the removal of the health secretary and increased police protection in hospitals.