A year after the brutal rape-murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a woman junior resident doctor in the Uluberia Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Government Medical College and Hospital was allegedly assaulted by three men and threatened with rape on Monday.
According to media reports, the accused were the relatives of a patient. The doctor later filed a complaint with the police, leading to three arrests.
The Joint Forum of Doctors, an organisation representing doctors in West Bengal, visited the Uluberia hospital, and expressed concern over the safety of doctors on duty.
My Kolkata spoke to several doctors and nurses about ways to ensure safety for female healthcare professionals.
‘Must adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards any assault on healthcare workers’
Rajni Bagai, senior consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Narayana Hospital, Howrah, recalled that in the early days of her career she had occasionally been in tense situations, though she had never experienced actual physical assault.
She stressed that the institution, government and law must adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards any assault on healthcare workers.
“Resident doctors and nurses are the healthcare professionals that patients and relatives interact with the most, especially in government institutions. They face the brunt of public anger for all perceived or actual deficiencies.
So, measures should be taken to improve healthcare facilities, so that patients and their relatives have fewer causes to feel aggrieved.
Universal legislation providing serious penalties for assault on healthcare professionals is needed. The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act of 2020 is a central legislation which can be invoked only under certain circumstances, and even that is rarely done. A stronger legislation, at the Central level, which is also stringently implemented, is called for,” she said.
‘Access for outsiders other than patients should be kept to a minimum’
Rishika Mehta, a paediatric cardiologist at Howrah’s Narayana Hospital, recounted feeling a sense of anxiety, especially during long working hours and while commuting.
“These kinds of incidents have been occurring in Bengal for quite some time now. This is the third case in two years. If they continue to happen, no woman will feel safe. Personally, there’s always a sense of anxiety, especially during long working hours and while commuting. Many of my female colleagues have faced uncomfortable situations,” she said.
Mehta added that strict security checks must be implemented, and access for outsiders other than patients should be kept to a minimum.
‘Strengthening hospital security, issuing proper ID card for visitors’
Sukanya Ghosh, Senior Community Medicine, condemned the incident that has taken place at the State-run hospital in Uluberia, adding that such incidents leave thousands of women doctors working in rural areas and suburbs feeling unsafe.
“Authorities need to focus on strengthening the security inside the hospital. Proper ID cards should be given to visitors so that unwanted people can be restricted from entering. Around-the-clock police outposts and all-round CCTV monitoring are required immediately so that doctors can fulfil their duties uninterruptedly,” she said.
‘Doctors working in government hospitals are at the mercy of these types of hooligans’
Saraswati Datta Bodhak, a member of Association of Health Service Doctors West Bengal, strongly criticised the repeated attacks on healthcare workers.
“An unfortunate, shocking and deplorable incident took place on October 20. Doctors working in different tiers of government hospitals are at the mercy of these types of hooligans,” she said.
“Proper implementation of the flagship programme Rattirer Sathi, employment of well-trained security personnel in required numbers to be deployed at different strategic points, and establishment of basic infrastructural facilities such as proper Illumination, proper restrooms, help line and panic buttons are the needs of the hour,” she said.
‘This is not just violence — it is inhuman. People are becoming worse than wild animals’
Arpita Mahato, a member of Nurses Unity, stressed that justice delayed is justice denied.
“From the Abhaya incident to the gang rape of a female medical student in Durgapur, we have repeatedly witnessed a disturbing pattern — where perpetrators are shielded, and justice is either delayed or denied. This culture of impunity is emboldening more such attacks, as evidenced by the Uluberia incident,” she said.
Mahato highlighted the need for immediate high-level, impartial investigation into such incidents. She stressed that exemplary punishment for the culprits is the need of the hour.
Further, implementation of strict security measures in all government hospitals, including round-the-clock police presence and swift response mechanisms, are also required.
Besides, the authorities should ensure the enactment and enforcement of a Medical Protection Act to safeguard healthcare workers against violence and abuse.
“This is not just violence — it is inhuman. People are becoming worse than wild animals. We demand strict and immediate punishment for the attackers, and we call for strong safety measures to protect all healthcare workers at their workplace,” Mahato concluded.
‘Gender-sensitive infrastructure, no compromise, no silence’
Apala Mitra, nurse in-charge at CMRI Hospital, underlined the fear of several female healthcare professionals these days. “We nurses and doctors step into hospitals every day to serve humanity, not to become victims ourselves. The fact that such a horrific thing could happen inside a hospital, a place meant for healing, is proof that the system has failed to protect its own,” she said.
Mitra stressed the enforcement of strict security measures — not just on paper, but in practice 24/7.
“Assaulting a healthcare worker should be treated as a non-bailable criminal offence with immediate arrest. Second, we need gender-sensitive infrastructure — proper restrooms, separate duty rooms, secure transport facilities for women working late. And lastly, there must be a zero-tolerance policy from hospital management — no compromise, no silence,” Mitra asserted.