Reuters – October 11, 2024
A junior doctor in India who initiated a hunger strike to protest the rape and murder of a fellow medic has been hospitalized due to severe dehydration, authorities reported on Friday.
Aniket Mahato and six other doctors began their hunger strike on Sunday to highlight what they describe as inadequate facilities and security for medical professionals, many of whom endure long shifts in crowded and unsanitary hospitals.
“When he was admitted, he was severely dehydrated, with a high pulse rate and in an unstable condition,” said Soma Mukhopadhyay, a professor at the hospital. By Friday afternoon, Mahato’s pulse, blood pressure, and fluid levels had improved; however, further investigations were needed to assess any potential additional damage.
Mahato, who works at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, was taken to the hospital late Thursday night.
The violent rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the same hospital have sparked widespread protests among medical professionals across the nation. They are demanding improved workplace safety for women and justice for their colleague, leading the Indian Supreme Court to establish a hospital safety task force.
In a letter sent to the state’s chief minister on Thursday, the Indian Medical Association, the country’s largest doctors’ organization, urged immediate attention to the striking doctors’ concerns. Their demands include enhanced police protection in hospitals and investigations into alleged corruption within several medical colleges.
