AMN / KOLKATA
West Bengal, junior doctors are on strike at all government medical colleges and hospitals in the state to protest the rape and murder of a doctor at a medical college and hospital. Meanwhile, West Bengal’s Health Secretary, Narayan Swarup Nigam, has appealed to the doctors to return to work. In a related development, the BJP and Congress will participate in a protest march tomorrow.
Citizens’ associations, left parties, intelligentsia, and various youth and student organizations are protesting the incident. Additionally, the BJP in the state has called for the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the portfolio of the Health Department.
National Commission for Women Delegation Visits R G Kar Medical College
The delegation of the National Commission for Women today visited R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata. The delegation met with Principal Suhrita Paul and Superintendent Bulbul Mukhopadhyay and took stock of the situation. Ms Delina Khandup, a team member, stated that the hospital’s security situation is inadequate. She said action would be taken against the former principal of the college for naming the victim.
National Medical Commission Issues Advisory for Safe Work Environment at Medical Colleges & Hospitals
The National Medical Commission has issued an advisory asking all medical colleges and institutions to develop a policy for a safe work environment within the college and hospital campus for all staff members, including faculty, medical students, and resident doctors. The Commission added that the policy should ensure adequate safety measures at OPD, wards, casualty areas, hostels, and other open areas on the campus and in residential quarters. Corridors and campus areas should be well-lit in the evening to ensure staff can walk safely from one place to another, and all sensitive areas should be covered by CCTV for monitoring. It also said that adequate security measures, including the posting of security staff, should be implemented at the OPD, wards, casualty areas, labour rooms, hostels, residential quarters, and other open areas within the medical college and hospital campus. The Commission emphasized that any incident of violence against medical students should be promptly investigated by the college management, and an FIR should be lodged with the police. The NMC further said that a detailed action-taken report on any incident of violence should be sent to it within 48 hours of the incident.