Page 20 - Kolkata

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Workplace safety key to get more women in labour force: IMF's Gita Gopinath

IMF's Gopinath wants govt to conduct cost-benefit analysis of PLI scheme

Padma awardee doctors write to PM Modi seeking law for healthcare workers

Expressing anguish over the Kolkata rape-murder incident, over 70 Padma awardee doctors have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding quick enactment of a special law to deal with violence against healthcare personnel and implementation of improved safety protocols in medical facilities. They suggested that the Centre bring an ordinance immediately to ensure the "harshest possible punishment" to those who indulge in violence against healthcare workers, whether verbal or physical. There have been widespread protests by healthcare personnel and others following the alleged rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital and claims of a botched-up investigation and cover-up. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and other doctors' bodies are pressing for a central law to ensure the safety of medics. Among those who have written the letter are former Director General of ICMR Dr Balram Bhargav, former AIIMS Delhi Director Dr Rande

Condemning crime okay; need solution: Neena Gupta on Kolkata rape-murder

Veteran actor Neena Gupta has said there is a need to come up with solutions to ensure women's safety, as she condemned the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last week. Over the last few days, the actor said, she has mulled a lot on the issue of women's safety. "Condemning it (the crime) is okay, but we need a solution. What could the solution be? Ours is a large country. Every state, district, region or village will have committees where they (women) work, do surveillance and file a report. "For example, a teacher in a village perhaps has to walk many kilometres in the evening or at night before she gets back (home)... So, those ladies who go for surveillance, they are also at risk. I thought a lot but couldn't find any solution. It will take a long time for society to change," Gupta told PTI. Referring to the government's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme, which addresses concerns about gender

SC takes cognisance of Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case, hearing on Aug 20

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. According to the cause list of August 20 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a matter titled 'In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata and related issue'. The Calcutta High Court recently transferred the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI. The alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor at a seminar hall of the state-run hospital has sparked widespread protests.

CBI should grill police commissioner, former RG Kar Hosp principal: TMC MP

Veteran Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy on Sunday demanded that the CBI undertake custodial interrogation of Kolkata Police commissioner and previous principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in connection with its probe into the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor. "CBI must act fairly. Custodial interrogation of Ex Principal and Police Commissioner is a must to know who and why floated suicide story," the TMC Rajya Sabha MP wrote in a social media post. The parents of the woman doctor claimed that they were informed over phone on August 9 morning that their daughter died by suicide at the hospital, where she worked. Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal has stated that no one from the police force called up the parents to say that their daughter died by suicide. Sandip Ghosh, who was the principal of the medical college when the crime took place, was interrogated by the CBI for long hours on Friday and Saturday. Roy also questioned the demolition work

Kolkata rape-murder: CBI grills ex-RG Kar hospital principal for third day

The former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sandip Ghosh, was on Saturday questioned for several hours by the CBI for the second consecutive day, as part of its probe into the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at the state-run medical establishment, officials said. After Friday's grilling, which continued till early Saturday, Ghosh was again summoned at the CBI office for another round of questioning, they said. He was seen re-entering the CBI office at the CGO complex in Salt Lake with a bunch of papers and files a little before 10.30 am on Saturday, and hadn't left the premises till reports last received. In the latest round of questioning, he was quizzed about his whereabouts on the night of the death of the postgraduate trainee, who called him to inform about the incident, and his primary reaction to it, the officials said. The CBI sleuths also corroborated his version with that of doctors, interns, and nurses who were on duty at the hospital on that ...

Kolkata rape-murder: Doctors continue stir, healthcare services affected

Healthcare services remained affected across West Bengal for the tenth consecutive day on Sunday as agitating junior doctors at state-run hospitals continued their cease-work demanding justice for the woman doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here. As the outpatient departments (OPDs) at government hospitals are closed on Sundays, the rush was less even as senior doctors were attending the emergency department to provide treatment to the visiting patients. "We are not for affecting healthcare services. We can understand the problems faced by the patients but our protest is very relevant in this context when an on-duty doctor was raped and murdered. Is this what we expect while coming to work? We will continue with our protest till our sister gets justice and the government arranges total security for us," an agitating doctor told PTI. The body of the woman postgraduate trainee doctor was found inside a seminar hall of the hospital on August 9. A

Govts accusing each other, not working : Nirbhaya's mother on RG Kar case

She also demanded punishment for all those involved in the case and voiced concern for women's safety

Durand Cup derby cancelled amid protests over doctor's rape in Kolkata

The Durand Cup derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, scheduled at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Sunday, has been cancelled because of the prevailing unrest in the city, sources said. The decision was taken following a meeting between the Kolkata Police officials and organisers of the tournament. "Both the teams will be awarded a point each, while the fans will get full refund for the tickets they bought," an official told PTI. It is also learnt that all the Durand Cup matches slated in Kolkata could be shifted to Jamshedpur. An official communication is awaited. There has been widespread protests following the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the city on August 9. On Saturday, the Indian Medical Association called for a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest the rape and murder of their colleague.

Doctors' strike halts OPDs nationwide, govt assures security panel

Non-essential services at government & private hospitals disrupted, even private labs keep shutters down

Indian doctors in UK demand justice for Kolkata rape victim in open letter

A group of Indian doctors and medical students in the UK have issued an open letter this weekend demanding justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor who was brutally raped and murdered at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The letter condemns the "brutal rape and murder of an on-duty female doctor at the hospital and the inaction of the West Bengal government in its response to the incident last week. The letter follows a peaceful protest staged outside India House in London and similar gatherings in UK cities such as Edinburgh and Leeds in solidarity with the doctors protesting in India. This incident is a symptom of the rising violence against women and the negligence of the state towards its citizens, reads the open letter. The absence of investment in public infrastructure and safety measures has a disproportionate impact on women, who are already marginalised by the patriarchal social conditions. Instead of supporting their empowerment by creating safe workplac

Health ministry assures safety measures for doctors amid security concerns

Kolkata rape-murder case: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has started a 24-hour nation-wide strike and said all essential services would continue and casualties would be attended to as usual

Doctors go on 24-hour nation-wide strike, IMA seeks 'airport-like' security

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) said all essential services would continue and casualties would be attended to as usual

Watch: Inside Kolkata’s RG Kar hospital after mob vandalism #kolkatadoctor #kolkatadoctormurder

Kolkata Police on Friday said it has so far arrested 19 people in connection with the vandalism and violence at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in the metropolis.

Mamata should avoid doing politics over doctor's rape-murder: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himant Biswa Sarma on Friday lashed out at his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, asking her to "stop indulging in politics" over the rape and murder of a woman doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Sarma's assertion while speaking to reporters here on the sidelines of a BJP meeting came in response to Banerjee accusing the opposition parties in West Bengal of being behind vandalism at the hospital in north Kolkata on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. "The incident that happened in Kolkata is very sad and the people of West Bengal and the entire country are in a state of shock. Mamata didi should avoid doing politics over the matter. She should focus on finding out who was behind the incident and fixing the accountability," Sarma said while replying to a query on Banerjee's allegations. "If you (Mamata Banerjee) do politics even after such a tragic incident, I believe this is very wrong. In such a time accusing others is

'Declare hospitals as safe zones, give compensation to victim's family'

All hospitals across the country should be declared safe zones like airports so that doctors can work without fear, Indian Medical Association (IMA) chief Dr R V Asokan said on Friday. This is one of the five demands of the IMA, which has declared a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services (from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday) to protest against the alleged rape and killing of a trainee woman doctor and vandalism at a state-run medical college in Kolkata. "Airports are safe zones with a three-layer security, so at least in major hospitals, there has to be a security protocol and they should be declared as safe zones as that will entitle them for a mandatory security protocol," Asokan told PTI. Secondly, there should be a central law to check violence on healthcare workers, he said. Asokan said 25 states have laws against attacks on doctors and hospitals but there have been no convictions so far. These laws are mostly ineffective on the ground and do not .

Kolkata woman rape-murder: Punjab doctors suspend OPD services in protest

The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association on Friday suspended outpatient department (OPD) services at public health-care centres in the state to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. We are demanding expeditious justice for the victim, central protection act for healthcare professionals and adequate security arrangements at public healthcare facilities, said Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) president Dr Akhil Sarin. The emergency and medico-legal services remained functional during Friday's protest, he added. Dr Sarin said the OPD services remained suspended in the health centres, including Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, civil hospitals and health centres at sub-divisional level. Meanwhile, the medical professionals in the state held sit-ins at the health centres demanding expeditious justice for the victim.

CM Mamata leads Kolkata protest rally, demands justice for woman doctor

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday led a protest rally from Moulali to Dorina crossing in Kolkata, demanding justice for a woman doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at a state-run hospital last week. TMC activists, who accompanied Banerjee, shouted slogans for capital punishment for the accused, a demand that the chief minister has already made. The woman post-graduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminar room of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. A civic volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime the next day. A group of around 40 people entered the hospital and vandalised the emergency department, nursing unit and medicine store in the early hours of Thursday. The mob also damaged CCTV cameras at the state-run health facility and ransacked a stage where junior doctors had been demonstrating against the alleged rape and murder of the woman doctor there and demanding security at their workplace.

Kolkata doc rape-murder: Akhilesh accuses BJP of making political benefits

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday slammed the BJP and accused them of making "political benefits" from the Kolkata medic's rape and murder case. While answering a question regarding the incident, Yadav said, "Any incident with a woman across the country is sad. Action should be taken against it. Mamata Banerjee is a female chief minister, and she will take action. But these people of BJP are doing politics." "BJP has a talent for doing politics on every incident. BJP has the talent of taking political benefit over every incident and dishonouring others," he added. Before interacting with the media, Akhilesh Yadav offered flowers on the statue of freedom fighter Maharani Avantibai Lodhi here to mark her birth anniversary. The statue is located right outside the gate of BJP's state headquarters in Lucknow. Answering a question about the upcoming by-election in UP, Yadav said, "Whenever by-elections will come, the public will defeat the BJP." By-elections are to be h