Following days of protests by junior doctors over the rape and death of a colleague, the West Bengal government has agreed to remove key officials, including the chief of police in Kolkata. The decision was made public by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after a five-hour discussion with the doctors who had been on strike since August 9. National indignation at the death of the 31-year-old woman at a state-run hospital has prompted calls for justice, increased security, and the dismissal of individuals involved in the case.
The demonstrators are still wary even though the government has agreed to some of the physicians’ demands, such as improved safety regulations for medical personnel. They have promised to keep going on strike until all of their demands are met. Despite a Supreme Court order to resume work, thousands of doctors have set up camp outside the state’s health department. They maintain that emergency services are unaffected.
Large-scale protests like the Reclaim the Night march have shown sympathy for the protests. Reacting to the situation, the government has instituted protocols to enhance women’s safety in hospitals, such as supervised “safe zones.” Authorities continue to come under fire for how they handled the matter and how the strike affected hospital services, notwithstanding their efforts.