Padma-awardee doctors seek PM's intervention in RG Kar case

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Over 70 Padma-awardee doctors on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his personal intervention in the case connected to the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week, triggering nationwide protests by the medical fraternity.

“As the head of our nation, we implore your immediate and personal intervention to address the alarming situation. We look forward to your quick and decisive action. Such acts of brutality shake the very foundations of service by medical professionals and highlight the urgent need to address violence, particularly against women, girls, and healthcare professionals,” read the letter.

The doctors also urged the Prime Minister to take strong measures to prevent such atrocities from re-occurring .

“We call upon the law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and the society at large to take immediate and decisive action,” the letter said.

The doctors also made the following recommendations:

* Stricter enforcement of existing laws: The doctors emphasised the need for law enforcement agencies to more rigorously apply current legal frameworks to protect healthcare professionals.

* Harsher and time-bound punishment for perpetrators of sexual violence: The doctors called for severe and swift penalties to serve as a deterrent against such crimes.

* Enhanced safety measures at hospitals and medical institutions: The letter urged the government to implement improved safety protocols within the healthcare facilities to ensure a secure working environment for all medical staff.

* Enactment and implementation of a special law for the protection of healthcare workers: The letter urged the central and state governments to quickly enact and implement a separate law for the protection of healthcare workers, ensuring its rapid enforcement on the ground.

A proposed bill, ‘The Prevention of Violence Against Doctors, Medical Professionals and Medical Institutions Bill', is ready since 2019 but has not yet been tabled in the Parliament for passage and adoption.

“We strongly believe that an ordinance to this effect can be brought immediately, and the Bill should be passed post-haste so that all those working in healthcare delivery systems in the country can work without fear, in service of the suffering patients,” the letter read.

* Harshest possible punishment for violence against healthcare workers: The proposed Ordinance/Bill should ensure that harshest possible punishment is given to those who indulge in violence against healthcare workers, whether verbal or physical. Such cases should be resolved swiftly by the judiciary, with offences categorised as non-bailable.

The letter said: “We should not allow such acts to become normalised or forgotten. As recipients of one of the nation's prestigious civilian honours, we feel a deep responsibility to speak out and demand timely action and appropriate changes."

The doctors also said that they stand in unwavering solidarity with the victim’s family as they extended full support to the medical community, which is increasingly confronting such violence in the course of their work.