RG Kar Hospital vandalized; nurses protest, IMA calls emergency meet
Kolkata: The state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata witnessed further unrest on Thursday as nurses and medical staff protested the vandalism that occurred overnight, just days after the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor on August 9. Unidentified miscreants, carrying sticks, bricks, and rods, ransacked the hospital, targeting the Emergency ward, its nursing station, the medicine store, and a section of the Out Patients Department (OPD). Several CCTV cameras were destroyed, and the stage where junior doctors had been protesting was also vandalized.
The violence erupted amid midnight protests by women across West Bengal, demanding justice for the doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminar hall of the hospital. The miscreants, who were part of a group of nearly 40 people masquerading as protestors, also overturned a police vehicle, damaged several two-wheelers, and injured police officers present at the scene.
Hospital staff, including nurses, expressed their outrage at the incident, condemning the hooliganism within the hospital premises. "Such hooliganism inside a hospital is unacceptable," stated one of the protesting nurses. The staff began cleaning the damaged Emergency ward, where vital medical equipment and furniture had been destroyed.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has strongly condemned the vandalism, criticizing the authorities for failing to maintain law and order during the ongoing CBI investigation into the doctor's alleged rape and murder. The IMA's statement highlighted concerns over the potential loss of crucial evidence due to the violence and described the situation as indicative of anarchy and a breakdown in law and order.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, who visited the area following the incident, assured that the matter was being thoroughly investigated. He also addressed concerns about a "malicious media campaign" that had aggravated the situation, asserting that the police were doing everything in their power to resolve the case.
The Calcutta High Court had earlier ordered the transfer of the investigation from the Kolkata Police to the CBI on August 13, following widespread demands for an impartial probe. Despite the escalating tensions, the protesting doctors and medical staff remain resolute, with one doctor stating, "This was an attempt to break our morale, but it has only strengthened our resolve to fight till the end."
A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the day after the incident, and additional police personnel have since been deployed outside the hospital to prevent further disturbances. The IMA has called for an emergency meeting with its state branches to determine the future course of action, as the situation at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital continues to draw national attention.
