Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Padma awardee doctors urge PM for Healthcare Worker Protection Law
Padma awardee doctors have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to quickly enact a special law addressing violence against healthcare professionals following the Kolkata rape-murder incident. They recommended an immediate ordinance to enforce «the harshest possible punishment» for those who engage in physical or verbal violence against healthcare workers. These demands come in the wake of the alleged rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, coupled with accusations of a botched investigation and cover-up.
Healthcare professionals and organizations, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA), have launched widespread protests advocating for a central law to ensure medic safety. Notable signatories of the letter include Dr. Balram Bhargava, former Director General of ICMR, Dr. Randeep Guleria, former AIIMS Delhi Director, and Dr. S K Sarin, Director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.
In the letter, the doctors have expressed their significant concern and called for PM Modi's immediate intervention. The letter emphasizes the brutal nature of the event and the urgent need to address violence, especially against women, girls, and healthcare professionals.
«We stand in unwavering solidarity with the victim's family, whose pain and loss are unimaginable. We also extend our full support to the medical community, who are increasingly confronting such violence in the course of their work. The safety and dignity of healthcare professionals must be safeguarded with
