Kolkata: Junior doctors in West Bengal have announced they will return to providing essential medical services starting Saturday, following a suspension prompted by the murder of a female doctor in Kolkata. The decision comes in response to a critical need amid the region’s current flood crisis, despite ongoing demands for improved security measures in hospitals.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the rape and murder of a 31-year-old female doctor last month in West Bengal sparked significant unrest among medical professionals across the region. This led to widespread calls for enhanced protection for women in the workplace and culminated in the Supreme Court’s establishment of a hospital safety task force.

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, representing approximately 7,000 doctors, stated that while they will continue to advocate for justice for their deceased colleague, the pressing flood situation has necessitated a return to essential medical duties. Aniket Mahato, a representative of the group, emphasized that the struggle for justice remains steadfast in each state-run hospital.

The group has been vocal in demanding more robust security protocols, including the increase of CCTV surveillance, the posting of female security staff, and improvements to hospital infrastructure such as better lighting and more accommodating rest areas.

Further complicating the situation, a police volunteer was recently apprehended in connection with the doctor’s assault and subsequent death at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Additionally, the college’s former principal faces charges related to evidence tampering and corruption, and the Kolkata police chief has been replaced.

This incident underscores ongoing concerns about sexual violence against women in India, despite the enactment of more stringent laws following the infamous 2012 gang rape and murder of a student in New Delhi.