Doctors Return to Work After 11-Day Strike

Two weeks after the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in a Calcutta public hospital, widespread outrage continues to grip India. Daily protests have erupted in the capital of West Bengal, with doctors and citizens alike demanding justice and accountability for the heinous crime. The Supreme Court has stepped in to oversee the investigation, which is now under the jurisdiction of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the local police were deemed ineffective. During a recent hearing, a CBI representative revealed significant lapses in the hospital's management and police response, suggesting attempts to mischaracterize the crime as a suicide. The CBI lawyer noted that the crime scene had been compromised, with a troubling delay of fourteen hours between the discovery of the body and the police being notified. This raised critical questions about the actions taken during that time frame. In the wake of the incident, the hospital's director has faced scrutiny and was dismissed shortly after the murder. The CBI has received judicial approval to conduct lie detector tests on him and four other doctors involved. The Supreme Court has also criticized West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her inadequate handling of the situation, highlighting the broader issues of safety and working conditions for medical professionals in the state. Doctors like Shouradipta Chandra have voiced their concerns, describing the dire conditions in public hospitals, including a lack of security and support for those working long hours. The ongoing protests reflect a deep-seated frustration with systemic corruption and the urgent need for reform in the healthcare system.