Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder: Nirbhaya Movement Needed for Doctors

Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder: Let the Death of Dr. Durga Be the Nirbhaya Movement for Doctors' Safety in India

As you read this, the news of the death of a young woman resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata, would have reached you already. On Friday, August 9, 2024, the body of a female resident doctor was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College in a semi-nude condition with multiple gruesome injuries indicating brutal sexual assault, smothering, and strangulation. The resident doctor on duty was raped and murdered at her workplace while she was resting in the seminar hall in the middle of her insanely long 36-hour shift.

The emergency department lacked a proper doctors’ duty room, which is earmarked for resident doctors to rest during such long shifts. The brutality of the sexual assault and murder has shaken the nation. There are widespread protests by doctors and nurses across the country demanding justice for the victim and systemic measures to ensure safe working conditions for resident doctors.

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The Kolkata doctor's rape and murder has also been taken up by political parties, who have demanded a CBI inquiry. The West Bengal Chief Minister, who is the only woman Chief Minister in India from a state known for its women's safety records, has asked for capital punishment for the accused. A person has been arrested based on circumstantial evidence by the police, but the anger of the medicos is on the boil, and rightly so. Country-wide protests have erupted in medical colleges and hospitals, with the stopping of non-emergency services. The doctors are demanding swift justice in the case and long-term measures to prevent such an occurrence.

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The Perpetual Problem of Violence Against Doctors

While this brutal incident has shocked everyone, it is not the first of its kind. Numerous instances of violence against doctors have occurred, sometimes leading to death. The recent case of Dr. Vandana Das serves as a stark reminder. Dr. Das was a resident doctor at Taluka Hospital in Kerala when she was attacked by a patient in police custody who had been brought in for treatment. The doctor was stabbed multiple times while the policemen sought safety. She succumbed to her injuries.

Every week, incidents occur where doctors or other healthcare workers fall victim to violence perpetrated by patients' attendants. Currently, there is no central law protecting healthcare workers on duty from such violence. The demand for legislation addressing violence against healthcare workers has been long-standing. The government has frequently avoided enacting such laws, citing concerns that other professions might also demand similar protections.

Risk of Residency

Resident doctors, who are pursuing postgraduate medical education, often stay on campus and are available 24/7 for duty. Their long working hours can stretch to 48 continuous hours at times, with limited security, making them vulnerable to attacks from angry patient attendants.

The poor doctor-patient ratio and lack of dedicated security or staff to counsel attendants mean that residents not only work long hours but also need to protect themselves from potential violence.

Harassment and Abuse

Resident doctors frequently face harassment and abuse from their seniors and teachers, which can be exacerbated by their intersectional identities, such as caste or religion. For example, Dr. Payal Salim Tadvi died by suicide due to caste-based discrimination by her seniors; she was a Muslim from the Bhil community. Doctors with disabilities also face discrimination.

The current education and examination system grants undue power to guides, supervisors, and department heads, which can be misused. Dr. Divesh Garg, a resident doctor from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, died by suicide following alleged harassment from his thesis guide. Similarly, Dr. Sugirtha Selvakumar, a young resident doctor from Tamil Nadu, took her life due to sexual harassment, physical and mental abuse by her department head, and toxic behavior from her seniors, as noted in her suicide letter.

Mental Health Woes

The MBBS program itself is mentally taxing, with added pressure from securing a postgraduate seat, passing NEET exams, and other challenges. Mental health issues among medical students, particularly postgraduate residents, are highly under-reported. An RTI revealed that 58 resident doctors have died by suicide in the past five years, according to the National Medical Commission (NMC). A survey by the NMC found that 37,000 medical students have self-reported mental health issues with suicidal risk. Additionally, 1,117 postgraduate students dropped out in the last five years, as per NMC data.

Prescription

• The NMC must ensure safe and dignified working conditions for resident doctors, integrating these standards into the minimum requirements for running medical colleges. Guidelines on security arrangements in hospitals, medical colleges, hostels, residential areas, and posting places should be issued and enforced.
• The Resident Doctors Association should have a greater role in ensuring safe working and living conditions through joint audits and should be included in committees overseeing implementation.
• Medical colleges must invest in adequate and safe accommodation facilities for resident doctors.
• The long-standing demand for central legislation to address violence against doctors and other healthcare providers requires urgent attention from legislators.
• The medical education and examination system needs reform to prevent misuse of power by teachers or examiners.
• Grievance redressal, anti-ragging, and internal complaint committees should be proactive, ensuring confidential, swift, and fair resolution of complaints, including resident doctors as members.
• A registry of doctors' suicides and incidents of violence against doctors is necessary to gather accurate data on these issues.

While rapes are a daily crime in our country, the gang rape and death of Nirbhaya became a milestone in India’s women’s safety movement. The death of the RG Kar Medical College woman resident doctor in Kolkata should not be in vain. To honour her memory, she may be referred to as Dr. Durga, a tribute to the state’s favourite goddess. Let Dr. Durga’s death in Kolkata spark a Nirbhaya-like movement for the safety of Indian doctors.

Authors

Aqsa Shaikh – Professor, Community Medicine, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Delhi

Amir Wasim, Resident Doctor, Community Medicine, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Delhi

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