Students of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, and doctors from K.R. Hospital and Cheluvamba Hospital took out a rally in Mysuru on Sunday, August 18, demanding safety and protection at workplaces.
| Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM
Nearly 200 doctors from Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, K.R. Hospital, and Cheluvamba Hospital took out a procession in the city on Sunday, August 18, demanding protection at workplaces.
This follows the brutal rape and murder of a resident doctor on night duty at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata recently.
The doctors including undergraduates from MMCRI marched from K.R. Hospital premises to Gandhi Square and formed a human chain.
Dr. Mohan, a final year postgraduate doctor in Cheluvamba Hospital, said that those responsible for the Kolkata incident should be brought to justice for which there has been a nationwide protest. The doctors said they wanted to create public awareness about the imperatives of workplace security for doctors across all hospitals.
The need to implement the Central Protection Act to safeguard doctors, medical professionals, and institutions from violence was also underscored. Though such an act has been formulated, it has yet to be implemented, said Dr. Mohan.
A senior doctor and member of the teaching faculty of MMCRI said that workplace safety is a must and it is lacking even at K.R. Hospital. ‘’Though senior staff have their cabin with washroom facilities, the junior doctors and nurses tend to use common facilities that could be located at a considerable distance to reach which they have to walk under dimly lit conditions at night. Even CCTV cameras need to be installed for better safety,’’ he added.
This was the second back-to-back procession and rally taken out by the medical professionals in the city. There was a rally on Saturday underlining the same demands and was part of the nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association.
