After the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital, doctors’ strike is going on across the country. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Arup Chakraborty has given a controversial statement. The MP has warned the doctors in a rally that if the public’s anger erupts on them across the country, he will not save the doctors. Arup Chakraborty made this statement during a rally in Bankura, West Bengal on Sunday.
The Indian Express quoted Arup Chakraborty as saying, “In the name of the movement, you can go home or hang out with your boyfriend. If a patient dies due to your strike and public anger erupts, we will not save you.” When asked further, Arup Chakraborty further said, “Doctors are on strike. If they go out in the name of strike and people do not get treatment, then naturally their anger will fall on them. We cannot save them.” Earlier, other TMC leaders like Kalyan Banerjee and Bengal Udayan Guha have also come out in support of Mamata Banerjee and threatened to face consequences for those trying to weaken her government.
IMA had announced strike
Doctors went on strike after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. On August 14, as the protests intensified, a mob attacked protesting doctors. Following this, the Indian Medical Association announced that all doctors across the country, except those in emergency services, would go on strike.
Doctors are getting threats for returning to work
On the ninth day of the strike, health services in the country remained disrupted. Dr Dhruv Chauhan, National Council Member of the Junior Doctors Network of the Indian Medical Association, alleged, “Some hospital administrations are threatening doctors to return to work while they are peacefully protesting for their rights.” He also said that if the authorities had made the same efforts to ensure the safety of doctors, they would not have gone on strike.