BEYOND THE BENGAL RAPE: EXAMINING THE PERILOUS REALITY OF INDIA'S DOCTORS

A 31-year-old female trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College retired to sleep in a seminar hall after a gruelling shift in the early hours of a Friday morning. It was the last time she was seen alive.

- SHRUTI KAUSHIK

The following morning, her colleagues made a horrifying discovery: her half-naked body on the podium, bearing extensive injuries. Police later arrested a hospital volunteer worker in connection with what they describe as a case of rape and murder at the 138-year-old institution.

This tragic incident has reignited discussions about the safety of healthcare workers in India, particularly women. As enraged doctors across the country went on strike demanding better protection, the case has exposed the deep-rooted vulnerabilities plaguing the medical profession.

A SYSTEM UNDER STRAIN

At RG Kar Hospital, which sees over 3,500 patients daily, overworked trainee doctors - some working up to 36 hours straight—had no designated restrooms. This forced them to seek rest in a third-floor seminar room, a situation that proved fatal for the young doctor.

Hospital doctors' experiences highlight female doctors' grim reality in India's government hospitals. There are no designated restrooms or separate toilets for female doctors. Some of them might even sleep in an empty patient bed in the ward or a cramped waiting room with a bed and basin.

In a twist of bitter irony, those dedicated to saving lives find themselves fighting for their own safety in the very institutions meant to heal.

Women in Medicine: Progress and Peril The face of Indian medicine, as claimed by the might of Government Statistics, is changing rapidly.