50 Senior Doctors Resign from RG Kar Medical College Amid Protests for Justice and Workplace Safety

50 Senior Doctors Resign from RG Kar Medical College Amid Protests for Justice and Workplace Safety

On Tuesday, October 8, fifty senior physicians from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital resigned in a major demonstration of support for junior physicians who were protesting the suspected rape and murder of a trainee physician. The resignations came as hospital turmoil grew more intense, with medical professionals posting videos and images on social media showing their more senior colleagues leaving in protest.

Earlier in the day, 15 senior doctors joined their junior counterparts in a symbolic hunger strike, further highlighting the gravity of the situation. The widespread resignation has drawn attention to the hospital’s rising worries about medical professionals’ working conditions and workplace safety.

Videos becoming viral on X show the senior doctors’ moving walkout, greeted with student cheers. A physician shared a video of the resignation with the following statement: “Workplace safety is a fundamental right.” How are you going to hold doctors to that standard if you can’t guarantee that? There’s no assurance that this won’t occur once again. Would you want your kids to labor under such circumstances?

“If this doesn’t move you, nothing will,” said one user’s post that went viral. “This move by West Bengal’s senior doctors will be remembered for generations,” another user added.

Junior Doctors on Hunger Strike Since Saturday

Through their hunger strike, which started on Saturday, junior doctors are calling for justice for their colleagues and drawing attention to larger concerns about safety and corruption on campus. Their demands go beyond the horrific event; they want the hospital setting to become safer and more efficient. They are fighting for better campus democracy, more patient-friendly healthcare, and justice for their colleagues.

Demands of the Junior Doctors

The establishment of a centralized hospital referral system throughout West Bengal, real-time bed availability monitoring, and task forces to guarantee vital facilities—like CCTV cameras, on-call rooms, and restrooms—are in good operating order are among the main demands made by the junior doctors on strike.

Additionally, they are advocating for stronger security measures like a larger police presence and the hiring of female policemen on a permanent basis. In addition, they demand that physicians and nurses be hired immediately to alleviate the hospital’s chronic staffing shortfall.

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The medical personnel identified the government’s lack of action as the reason behind the senior doctors’ collective resignation. “There has been no response from the appropriate authority to resolve this and prevent an impending health crisis for our children,” they said in a joint statement expressing their frustration.