On August 9, 2024, Dr Moumita Debnath, the sole pride of her family, tragically passed away in a high-security medical facility in Kolkata India.
The 31-year-old was a second-year postgraduate student in the Chest Medicine Department at Radha Gobinda Kar Medical College, one of India’s oldest medical institutions.
Her death followed a brutal incident of sexual assault involving alleged rape and strangulation.
The evidence suggests that Dr Debnath may have been assaulted by several people, as her body contained over 150 ml of penile discharge, a quantity far exceeding the 15 grams typically associated with a single male ejaculation.
Dr Debnath had finished her duties, shared a meal with her junior colleagues at 2 AM, and then sought a brief rest. Without a designated room for doctors, she took refuge in the seminar room.
“She worked continuously for 36 hours. After completing her shift, she went to rest, but when she didn’t return to the ward, a search was conducted and she was found to have been brutally murdered,” Dr. K. M Abul Hasan, Chairman of the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors’ Network, told JoyNews’ Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen in a Zoom interview.
On the morning of August 9th, the family was informed that their beloved daughter had tragically died by suicide.
Reports say when the grieving family arrived at the hospital, they endured the anguish of waiting outside for three hours, during which they were denied access to their daughter’s body.
When the family was finally permitted to view their daughter’s body, they were faced with a distressing sight: her body lay uncovered. Moreover, her legs were positioned at a right angle, indicating severe trauma to her pelvic area.
Sources in India informed JoyNews’ Mahmud that her body was not found in the seminar room where she had gone to rest, but instead in the room across the hall, which was under construction.
The preliminary autopsy revealed severe injuries to Dr Debnath’s eyes, with the lenses from her glasses having shattered and embedded in them, leading to substantial bleeding. Her lips were bruised, and there were clear indications of a violent struggle.
CCTV footage has identified Sanjay Roy, a police volunteer, as the prime suspect.
He has been arrested, charged with the crime and allegedly confessed to the brutal act, making him the only person arrested so far.
“He was a police helper and was seen on CCTV a few hours before the incident happened. On that basis, he was arrested,” Dr Abul Hasan explained further.
He notes that the suspect assisted the police with hospital security and also provided help to patients visiting the facility.
When asked if Dr Debnath was the only one on duty, considering that the struggle and noise might have alerted others, Dr Abul Hasan acknowledged that she did make noise.
However, he notes that the seminar room’s distance from the main building would have made it difficult for anyone to hear her.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the parents have expressed deep mistrust in the State Police, worried that the investigation might falter and the perpetrators could escape justice. To seek redress, they met with the Home and Health Minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, on August 12.
Threat to the safety and security of doctors
Dr Abul Hasan expresses worry about the ongoing threat to the safety and security of doctors in India that urgently needs to be addressed, saying that female doctors are increasingly becoming targets.
He provides examples of doctors experiencing violent assaults from patients themselves. One such case in May 2023 involved Dr Vandana Das, a 25-year-old house surgeon at Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital in Kollam, who was fatally stabbed with surgical scissors and a scalpel early in the morning by a patient.
The patient was brought to the hospital by the police for treatment of injuries to his legs and hands.
According to doctors, Dr Das sustained six severe stab wounds to her neck, head, spinal cord, abdomen, and chest. However, the police inquest report noted a total of 11 wounds on her.
“This is very alarming and the female doctors are becoming targets,” he said.
He says the murder of Dr Debnath is a serious concern and must be fixed immediately.
During a Zoom interview, Dr Anurag Mondal from R.G. Kar Medical College and a representative of the West Bengal Young Doctors described security as one of the biggest challenges in health facilities across India.
“We often face violence, and it is quite difficult,” he lamented.
He emphasises that ensuring justice for the late doctor is crucial, as a failure to do so could increase the likelihood of similar incidents occurring elsewhere.
Dr Mondal says the family is disturbed and worried about the incident.
“They want justice for their daughter so that other doctors don’t face similar cases in future,” he indicated.
According to Dr Abul Hasan, about 70% of doctors in India report experiencing verbal and physical violence, particularly in emergency rooms.
“Most of the violence occurs in the emergency department, where our junior doctors are often working,” he indicated.
Female doctors in India report experiencing abuse daily, ranging from verbal insults to physical molestation, and they see no end to this troubling situation.
Doctors and others hold protests across India
Since August 9, doctors and medical staff across India have been staging protests, strikes, candlelight marches, and even temporarily refusing care for non-emergency patients.
Hospitals and clinics across the country began turning away patients except for emergencies as medical professionals initiated a 24-hour shutdown in response to the rape and murder of a doctor.
Over 1 million doctors were expected to participate, disrupting medical services.
Reports suggest that faculty staff from medical colleges were deployed to handle emergency cases. The strike also halted elective procedures and outpatient consultations.
Dr Abul Hasan explains that over 70 thousand health facilities protested to seek justice for Dr Debnath.
“There is a great impact. Because of the strike, the Supreme Court has decided to intervene in this case.”
Women across the country participated in a peaceful vigil that began at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Similar protests took place in cities like Delhi and Hyderabad, where demonstrators named their movement “Reclaim the Night” and marched to denounce the violence suffered by the deceased.
However, the protests took a darker turn later that night when a group of vandals entered RG Kar and damaged the emergency room.
5 immediate demands made by Indian doctors
Doctors in India have described the incident as barbaric, indicating the lack of safe spaces for women and the unchecked hooliganism resulting from inadequate security protocols.
The doctors are calling for several changes, including the integration of the 2020 amendments to the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 into the draft of “The Healthcare Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property Bill 2019).” They believe this would enhance the existing 25 state legislations.
They are also calling for hospital security protocols to be as stringent as those at airports.
“Declaring hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security measures is the first step. CCTV installations, the deployment of security personnel, and other protocols can follow,” stated the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in a statement signed by National President Dr. R.V. Asokan and Secretary General Dr Anilkumar J. Nayak.
There is a call for a thorough overhaul of the working and living conditions for resident doctors, addressing issues such as the 36-hour duty shift the victim endured and the lack of safe spaces and adequate restrooms.
There are also demands for a meticulous and professional investigation of the crime within a reasonable timeframe, and for justice to be rendered, along with appropriate and dignified compensation for the bereaved family, reflecting the severity of the inflicted cruelty.
The IMA will meet with all resident doctors’ associations today, August 21, 2024, to hear their concerns and discuss their experiences.
“We can assess the situation and plan coordinated actions moving forward,” stated the IMA.
Court orders CBI to intensify quest for truth, justice
India’s top court has instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report by August 22 regarding its investigation into the Kolkata rape-and-murder case.
On August 13, the court took a significant step by ordering a CBI probe to advance the search for truth and justice.
The court has established a national task force of doctors to recommend measures for enhancing the safety of healthcare workers in their workplaces. It has also tasked the panel with developing guidelines to ensure the safety and protection of medical professionals and healthcare workers across the country.
Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud states that safeguarding the safety of doctors, especially women doctors, is a matter of national interest and equality.
He emphasizes that the nation cannot wait for another tragedy before taking action.
“Protecting the safety of doctors and women doctors is a matter of national interest and principle of equality. The nation cannot await another rape for it to take some steps,” Chief Justice Dhananjaya said as reported by Indian Media houses.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed the removal of the name, photos, and videos of the doctor from all social media platforms.
A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, notes that revealing the identity of a sexual assault victim breaches a Supreme Court directive from the Nipun Saxena case, which emphasises the importance of protecting victims from public scrutiny.
In the said judgment in 2018, the court had ordered, “No person can print or publish in print, electronic, social media, etc. the name of the victim or even in a remote manner disclose any facts which can lead to the victim being identified and which should make her identity known to the public at large.”
Source: Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen
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