Shimla, August 13 (PTI) Patients visiting the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital here on Tuesday faced inconvenience due to a strike called by resident doctors over the rape and murder of a fellow doctor in Kolkata.
Several people, especially the elderly who had come from distant places, had to return from the premier state-run hospital without treatment.
“We have closed the OPDs to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata and demand justice for the victim. It should be ensured that such things never happen again and that female doctors need not work under the lurking fear that they could be raped or murdered while on duty” S Sharma, a resident doctor at the IGMC hospital, said.
“So far only one accused has been nabbed while the autopsy reports suggest involvement of two-three people. We want justice for the victim and an assurance that no doctor, female or male, faces such harassment,” she added.
The strike comes amid nationwide protests over the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College in the West Bengal capital while on duty.
IGMC is a premier hospital and patients come here from places as far as 60-70 km, so they are disappointed on not getting treatment due to the strike, said Vikas, a patient.
As usual, patients started coming to the hospital from 9 am and many people, including senior citizens, lined up in long queues but they did not get treatment due to unavailability of doctors, he added.
Dr S Soni, another protesting resident doctor of IGMC, said, “We are demanding a CBI probe into the death of the female doctor while on duty as there can be some carelessness on the part of the administration.” A CBI inquiry must be held to bring guilty to book and stringent punishment should be given to deter such persons from recurrence of such incidents across the country, Soni said.
“It a matter of concern not only for lady doctors but also for female patients; their safety must be ensured and the family of the deceased doctor must be given immediate relief,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the probe into the incident to the Central Bureau of Investigation. PTI BPL RPA
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