Delhi doctors hold candle marches seeking justice for murdered Kolkata PG trainee

New Delhi: Doctors from across the national capital held candle marches on Saturday, denouncing the murder of a female resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.

The candle marches, organised at various medical colleges and hospitals, saw doctors holding posters and candles and demanding a CBI inquiry into the death of the 32-year-old woman, whose semi-nude body was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in the West Bengal capital Thursday night.

Dr Dhruv Chauhan, the National Council Member of the Indian Medical Association's Junior Doctors Network, said the incident has raised concerns about the safety of doctors working in hospitals.

"This horrific incident has ignited widespread alarm within the medical fraternity nationwide. The fear is so intense that doctors are now concerned about performing their duties unless strict security measures are implemented," he said.

"Doctors have been demanding the strict enforcement of the Central Protection Act and increased security in the workplace. If they cannot be safe in their own hospitals and colleges, where can they be safe? How can they ensure the safety of their patients when their own lives are insecure?" he asked.

Several resident doctors' associations across the city, including those from Hindu Rao Hospital, LNJP Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital, Maulana Azad Medical College, and the Indian Medical Association have demanded an investigation into the death of the resident doctor.

"The candle march was a symbol of our collective outrage and demand for justice. We urge authorities to take swift and severe action against the perpetrators and ensure a safe environment for all.

"The next course of action will be decided in our upcoming meeting with all stakeholders," a spokesperson for Federation of Residents' Doctors Association said.

The victim, a second-year student of the chest medicine department of the hospital, was on duty when she was apparently attacked and killed.