On August 9, the body of a 31-year-old doctor trainee was found at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The woman had been raped and murdered.
The case has once again brought to the forefront the discussion of women’s safety in India — with special concerns voiced by women who are medical professionals.
“My first reaction was that of absolute horror. I could feel the anger in my bones,” says Dr. Kamna Kakkar, a resident doctor from Delhi. “Hospitals are supposed to be places which are safe and revered like temples. When I don the white coat to save lives, I expect to be provided safety.”
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Her thoughts were echoed by the seven female doctors and nurses interviewed for this story — and are similar to points raised on two WhatsApp groups by over 200 medical professionals in India.
Along with protests demanding better security measures for women, these medical professionals are speaking out about the lack of respect they are afforded in their workplace. They say they’re not safe at work nor do they have safe resting places when they do shift work. They’re also calling attention to sexual harassment from peers and patients alike.
According to details made public by courts and police, the woman who was raped and murdered — she cannot be named by law — was found with extensive injuries in the seminar hall of the hospital, where she was resting at the end of a 36-hour shift late night shift. A police volunteer — a unpaid civilian recruited for minor policing duties — was detained in connection with the crime.
India’s Supreme Court speaks out
The brutality of this case, as well as the increasing frequency of reports of sexual crimes against women in India — from 25,000 rape cases in 2012 to 31,000 a decade later — has sparked nationwide anger and condemnation. In response, the Indian Supreme Court, last Tuesday, announced it would hear the case surrounding the woman’s murder,and ordered a national task force to investigate workplace safety for doctors.
Read full story on NPR
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