Indian doctors begin 24-hour strike to protest brutal rape of medic

17/8/2024 11:41

        Indian medical professionals started a 24-hour shutdown of non-emergency services across the country on Saturday in protest against the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata.
        
        The shutdown, which began at 6 a.m. (0030 GMT), will cut off access to elective medical procedures and out-patient consultations in the world's most populous nation, according to a statement by the Indian Medical Association.
        
        Casualty departments at hospitals, which deal with emergencies, will continue to be staffed.
        
        A 31-year old trainee doctor was raped and murdered last week inside a medical college in Kolkata where she worked, triggering nationwide protests among doctors and drawing parallels to the notorious gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012.
        
        Anger at the failure of tough laws to deter a rising tide of violence against women has fuelled protests by doctors and women's groups.