R. G. Kar Hospital fallout: Doctors in Darjeeling District Hospital want proper rest room

EOI, DARJEELING, AUGUST 13, 2024: The protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata spread to the hills on Tuesday, with doctors of the Darjeeling District Hospital observing a one-hour strike in solidarity. The protest is part of the pan-India programme of doctors against the rape and murder of the Post Graduate Trainee (PGT) doctor of the Kolkata RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Doctors at the Darjeeling District Hospital stopped work in the clinic and Out-Patients Department for an hour and held a demonstration in the hospital premises, shouting slogans.

“We condemn the incident that took place at the RG Kar Medical College where a PGT second-year student was brutally raped and murdered. She was on duty for 36 hours, and when she was on her way to take a rest, the incident took place. According to the autopsy result, many people were involved in this. One person, Sonjoy Roy, has been arrested. We do not believe that this was the doing of only one person,” Dr. Shika Ganguly, a doctor in the hospital, said.

“We want a safe working place for both male and female doctors. We are observing a two-hour strike in different places in the country. However, in Darjeeling, we decided to observe a one-hour strike because patients come to the hospital from far and remote areas. The emergency services and duty were kept off the purview of our protest program,” said Dr. Ganguly. “If we have to work in such an environment of fear, then we cannot provide treatment.”

A PGT doctor of the District Hospital said: “We are demanding justice for this as the situation in the hills is also similar to the situation at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. At this place, often only female PGT doctors are working. We want that the basic requirements be provided to us.”

Another PGT doctor, Riya Laskar, said: “The incident that took place in Kolkata happened in the seminar room. In the Darjeeling District Hospital, we do not even have a proper doctor’s room. We work 24/7 each day yet do not even have a place to rest and sleep. We have been given a doctor’s room at present, but that is situated outside the campus area.”