Mumbai: City docs outrage over midnight Kolkata vandalism, attack

Mumbai doctors hold a peaceful candlelight demonstration. Pic/PTI

At the stroke of midnight, when the nation celebrated its 78th year of independence, resident doctors' WhatsApp groups were flooded with distressing messages and videos from Kolkata. A mob had stormed RG Kar Hospital where a trainee doctor had been raped and murdered, disrupting a peaceful protest, allegedly compromising crucial evidence and leaving a trail of vandalism and fear. It would be a sleepless night for doctors at the scene and in the city.

Medical associations of resident doctors maintain internal communication channels through social media and instant messaging apps. "One group I'm part of has about a thousand members on WhatsApp across multiple states," said Dr Sagar Dole of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).

A medical room of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital after being vandalised by unidentified miscreants. Pics/PTI

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Dr Dole stayed awake until about 3 am, monitoring the cries for help. "All colleagues under threat in Kolkata," he shared in one of the groups. The videos that surfaced were desperate pleas: "They've vandalised the emergency ward, the ladies' hostel, the gynaecology ward... local police were unable to help us. Whoever is watching, please help us," said the video from doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The aftermath of the mob attack has left many resident doctors furious. Discussions about boycotting emergency services as part of a strike were held among both state-level and BMC-level doctors. "It's a dilemma because if we withdraw from emergency services, our patients will suffer. We don't want that; our patients have done nothing wrong. But if we remain silent, the government won't listen to us," said a female resident doctor from one of the four BMC-run medical college hospitals.

People take part in a torch rally in Kolkata

"We were receiving messages like ‘please save us' from doctors in Kolkata," she added. A profound sense of helplessness took hold as doctors in Mumbai realised there was little they could do from afar to protect their counterparts. "This attack happened during a protest led by women reclaiming the night. We stayed awake until about 4 am, talking to doctors, trying to figure out our next plan of action," she recounted.

Dr Aditi Karande, general secretary of MARD, said their primary concern was the safety of doctors. "This Independence Day is not happy for us, and this is no longer just about doctors. It's about citizens of this country." Another resident doctor from a BMC-run hospital, part of the IMA Junior Doctors Network, said an immediate online meeting was held to assess the situation in Kolkata. "From the videos we've received, it seemed like an organised attack. If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere, to anyone," the doctor said.

Citizens' voices

Before the mob attack, a few citizen groups in Mumbai had organised protests in Powai, Malad, and Andheri. Participants in one such protest near Joggers Park in Lokhandwala spoke to mid-day. "The police cut short the timings, likely for crowd control. It was supposed to be from 9 pm to 11 pm, but it ended by 10.30 pm," said Komal.

Doctors and medical students protest at Sir JJ Hospital in Mumbai

Just hours after she returned home, videos and pictures of the mob violence began to appear on her social media feed. "We live in a time of social media where we see things unfold in real-time. I followed the incident until about 2 am, explaining to people what had happened. It was terrifying," Komal said. "I was trying to see if there was anything we could do immediately to help, but the reality is, we can't. The only way to help is by showing up for such protests."

Asked what makes this incident so striking, Svetlana Naudiyal, another participant in the Lokhandwala protest, said, "The reaction to this incident is a collective anger over all the past instances of violence against women. We've reached a tipping point." Both flagged the conditions under which doctors work and the abysmal state of public hospitals. At press time, a delegation from MARD were in a meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.