Kolkata, August 15, 2024 – In a shocking incident, a large group of miscreants, allegedly backed by the ruling party, stormed the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the early hours of Independence Day. The attack occurred around 1:15 a.m. and targeted the hospital's Emergency Department, where the assailants ransacked wards, vandalized patient beds, and physically assaulted doctors and medical students who were protesting the recent rape and murder of a female doctor.

The incident comes on the heels of a mass protest by the citizens of West Bengal, who took to the streets on the night of August 14th to demand justice for the brutal crime committed on August 9-10. The protesters, including patients, their relatives, and members of civil society, stood in solidarity with the doctors of RG Kar Medical College, who have been at the forefront of the movement seeking justice for their slain colleague.

United Private Clinics & Hospitals Association of Rajashan (UPCHAR) has strongly condemned the brutal attack on protesting doctors who are asking justice for their colleague.

'Is it democracy"  asks  UPCHAR through  their official X handle.

Despite the presence of law enforcement, the attackers faced little resistance, and media personnel covering the event were also targeted, with their equipment destroyed. In a controversial statement following the attack, a ruling party leader, who is also a doctor, suggested that the violence was a result of patient frustration due to lack of medical services—comments that have been met with widespread outrage.

Prof. Vinayak Nerlikar, President, and Dr. Bhabani Sankar Das, General Secretary of the Medical Service Centre, have condemned the attack in the strongest terms, labeling it as a "cowardly criminal act" aimed at suppressing the peaceful movement and destroying evidence. They have called on healthcare professionals across the country to unite and participate in a 72-hour strike in medical colleges and hospitals to protest against the violence and demand justice.

"We appeal to the intelligentsia and citizens of the country to stand with us against this heinous act of criminal violence," said Dr. Ansuman Mitra, in a statement circulated to the press.

The medical community's response to the attack is expected to escalate tensions in West Bengal, as the strike will undoubtedly impact healthcare services nationwide, further drawing attention to the grave issues faced by medical professionals in the state.