Kolkata doctor rape-murder: UP doctors'€™ body writes to Union health minister as protests continue

Lucknow, Aug 13 (PTI) A doctors' association in Uttar Pradesh has written to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, pressing for security measures at medical institutions, even as medicos on Tuesday continued protests in the state over the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata.

The protests are being held for the second day in a row at different medical colleges in the state from Greater Noida in the west to Varanasi in the east and cities such as Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Gorakhpur besides state capital Lucknow.

However, emergency services continued to function at the medical colleges participating in the protests, a senior office-bearer of the state Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) told PTI.

The Uttar Pradesh RDA's president Dr Hardeep Jogi said the association has written to the Union Health Minister, urging for safety and security measures at hospitals in light of the "disturbing and horrific" murder of a 2nd-year postgraduate student at the state-run RG Kar Medical College in the West Bengal capital four days ago.

"The crime, which involved rape before the murder, underscores the severe inadequacies in campus security and overall safety," read the letter addressed to Nadda on Monday.

"The RDA Uttar Pradesh expresses its profound condolences for the loss of this young woman and strongly denounces the failures that permitted such a grave offence to occur. The inability to safeguard our institutions reflects a critical lapse in administration. and governance," it stated.

The RDA also sought an urgent meeting with the health minister to discuss the pressing issues faced by the medical community, the "escalating violence" against doctors and the "deteriorating working conditions" which have created "an atmosphere of fear".

"This must be addressed to prevent future tragedies," it said.

The doctors' association has proposed a series of measures for enhancing safety and security within medical institutions, including deployment of police and security personnel in adequate numbers and CCTV installation at vulnerable locations.

"In addition, we have requested the West Bengal state government to hand the case to the CBI to conduct a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the incident and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice," the RDA said.

"Investigate the conditions that allowed this crime to happen and implement necessary improvements. Take immediate actions to enhance the safety of doctors, particularly women, in their workplaces," it added.

The association also demanded adequate compensation to the family of the deceased student doctor. PTI KIS RPA RPA