We Owe Women Doctors More Than Just Sympathy—We Owe Them Safety

We Owe Women Doctors More Than Just Sympathy—We Owe Them Safety

I’m heartbroken and outraged. The brutal rape and murder of a female resident doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata is not just a crime—it’s a heinous act against a fellow human being. My heart goes out to the young soul who went through this treacherous ordeal, her family and close ones. Justice must be delivered.

It is wake-up call to society. This could have been my colleague, my friend, my sister. It’s a terrifying reminder of the dangers that women doctors face every day. It’s a reality we can’t ignore any longer. We need action. Now.

Here are 5 steps we can and must take to make our workplaces safer for women doctors:

1) Secure Duty Rooms: Duty doctors' rooms should be restricted areas, inaccessible to the general public, patients, or their attendants. These should be safe spaces where doctors can rest without fear. There must be separate female duty doctors rooms if duty rooms are shared by multiple doctors. It should not matter if there is one female in the department or many, it isn't in a favour for any specific individual.

2) Better Security: From better lighting in parking areas to 24/7 security personnel—safety can’t be compromised. Every hospital and clinic must perform regular security audits. Security Cameras should be installed in public in the all the corridors if possible.

3) Prevention of Sexual Harassment Committees: Every large hospital, medical college, and institution must have transparently functioning Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Committee. It should be visible, accessible, and proactive in addressing complaints. It must not only contain members of the management, but compulsorily women doctors from different departments.

4) Emergency Response System: There must be emergency response system in every ward, accessible to all staff. Every second counts in a crisis. Immediate response can save lives. The Emergency Code System already in use in Hospitals, must include a colour code for Sexual Harassment attempts. Code Violent used for an violent behaviour by a patient/attender can be modified to also include any attempt at sexual harassment and must garner the same immediate security response.

5) Stand up for our rights: Doctors must stand up for their rights of a safe work environment. That cannot be perceived as being difficult. It should not have to be fight by one individual, it must be united and unanimous. Be it seniors for a junior, or colleagues for each other.

We owe it to every woman in our profession to make sure this never happens again. Let’s not wait for another tragedy.

We stand United for Justice. Justice Must be Delivered, not just promised. Share with other colleagues and everyone who wants safer Hospitals and a safer India.

#Doctors #RGKar #Kolkata #DoctorForJustice #indiandoctors