Following the tragic rape and murder of a trainee medico at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College, a group of 70 Padma Awardee doctors has urgently appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for immediate action to tackle escalating violence against healthcare professionals.
“We… write to you with deep concern and profound anguish regarding the horrific events that recently occurred at R G Kar Medical College in Kolkata. As the head of our nation, we implore your immediate and personal intervention to address this alarming situation.
“Such acts of brutality shake the very foundations of service by medical professionals and highlight the urgent need to address violence, particularly against women, girls, and health care professionals,” said the letter.
The signatories to the letter include Dr Harsh Mahajan, Dr Anoop Misra, Dr AK Grover, Dr Mohsin Wali, Dr Ambrish Mithal, Dr. Pradeep Chowbey, Dr Anil Kohli, Dr Ashok Seth, Dr Balram Bhargava, Dr Mahesh Verma, Dr Mahipal Sachdev, Dr PK Julka, Dr Raman Kapur, Dr Randeep Guleria, Dr SK Sarin, Dr Upendra Kaul, Dr Yash Gulati, Dr Arvinder Singh Soin, Dr D S Rana, Dr Jagdish Prasad and Dr Jeewan S Titiyal among others.
“As recipients of one of the nation's prestigious civilian honours, we feel a deep responsibility to speak out and demand timely action and appropriate changes,” the letter stated as they called for immediate and decisive action to address the growing violence against healthcare professionals, particularly emphasising the need for stronger measures to protect the safety dignity of those working in the medical field.
Demanding the harshest possible punishment for violence against healthcare workers and calling for the central and state governments to quickly enact and implement a separate law for the protection of healthcare workers, they also drew the attention of the Prime Minister to the proposed bill,
“The Prevention of Violence Against Doctors, Medical Professionals and Medical Institutions Bill.” It has been ready since 2019 but not yet been tabled in Parliament. “We strongly believe that an ordinance to this effect can be brought immediately, and the bill should be passed post-haste so that all those working in healthcare delivery systems in the country can work without fear, in service of suffering patients,” the letter stated.
Such cases should be resolved swiftly by the judiciary, with offences categorised as non-bailable, the doctors added
“We should not allow such acts to become normal or forgotten. “Let this tragedy serve as a catalyst for real, lasting change.
We owe it to the late Nirbhaya, and to all victims of sexual violence, and to future generations to create a society where such horrors are unthinkable. We earnestly appeal to you through this letter to safeguard the medical profession against physical assaults and defacement of the dignity and respect of all healthcare workers.,” they said.
