Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: "Horrifying Reminder Of Humanity's Lowest Points"

Kolkata Rape Murder Case: The nation was once again left in shock with the news of a female postgraduate trainee doctor being raped and murdered at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The protestors are again on the road, the candles of grief are burning again and the justice system is under scrutiny again but will there be justice? Will the girls be safe?

“I am quite sure that my daughter was raped before she was murdered. The injury marks on her body are evident. She was found semi-naked. Efforts are being made to hide the truth. I do not understand why they (hospital authorities) are delaying the investigation,” said the victim’s father.

“She also had dinner with her juniors at around 2 am. She then went to the seminar room since there was no separate on-call room to take some rest. In the morning, we found her body there,” said the victim’s colleague.

Several students, doctors, and associations are holding protests and rallies to demand justice for the victim. Seeing that the hospital administration was not with the victim or her family, the court said, “The case on hand is peculiar. There should be no further loss of time. There may be the possibility of evidence being tampered with.” Consequently, the case was handed over to CBI yesterday for further investigation to avoid “further loss of time.”

While we all try to fight through our tears and hope for justice, we talked to some doctors and aspiring ones from all over India to understand the reality of the healthcare industry in the country as we try to understand how safe the hospitals are for those who work there.

What Do The Doctors Say?

“Being a psychologist, attending to patients with different mental disorders is a part of my daily routine. Sometimes, I tend to deal with people who even have the tendency to get aggressive/ violent during their sessions but being a professional, I have to deal with them with utmost patience which binds me to keep my safety aside… I believe safety is a prerequisite for all the women working in the medical fraternity as our profession demands to treat every patient equally and we cannot set up any restrictions. It's disheartening to see that a doctor who has the power to save life was raped and brutally murdered like that. (5 Horrific Rape Cases That Shook The Nation After Nirbhaya) I believe this should be taken as a life lesson and the medical fraternity should take necessary steps to ensure the physical safety of women in professional settings and foster cultural respect and dignity,” said Shikha Khandpur Child and Adolescent Psychologist, Founder-Acumentor.

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Surbhi Gandhi, who recently completed her internship at a medical College and Hospital (names concealed for privacy reasons) in Varanasi said, “While I haven’t faced any security issues till now, be it with the hospital staff, or the patients, it terrifies me to my soul that something like this could happen. I’m glad and grateful that we had all the safety measures at our hospital and that my colleagues never let anyone be alone or stressed.”

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“I have been working in hospitals for quite a long time but my duties have been during the day. Hospitals are buzzing and full of crowds in the morning whereas at night they are very isolated. So security measures are important. There should be guards on every floor, and alarm systems should be attached to every doctor’s ID card so that they can press when in danger. I believe the Buddy system(2 doctors always together), especially at night can be effective in increasing security at the hospitals. I don’t understand why there is no security or transportation for the doctors working late at night,” said Dr Gunita Singh, BDS, MD, and Senior Consultant, Department of Dentistry at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

“I am an ENT specialist with a decade of experience in government medical colleges. My residency and internships were rigorous, shaping my commitment to patients’ well-being above all else. When dealing with a patient my focus is only on their problem and what steps can be taken to improve their situation. There is room for nothing else at that moment. However, the recent incident of rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata has shattered this sense of safety and innocence. Sadly, this is not an isolated case, similar abusive incidents have happened in the past,” said Dr Devina Chitranshi, MBBS MS ENT (KEM HOSPITAL, Mumbai), Consultant ENT Surgeon.

“It is a horrifying reminder that humanity is really touching its lowest points. I am literally living to improve people’s lives but at what cost? At the cost of being abused? This is not the price any healthcare provider should pay,” she added.

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