The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front announced an X (formerly known as Twitter) storm today, October 17, from 8 pm, seeking justice for the victim of the rape-and-murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata.

In the announcement, the front requested everyone standing in solidarity with their protest to participate in the storm, using the hashtags #JusticeForAbhaya and #DoctorsOnHungerStrike.

To recall, junior doctors in Kolkata have been on an indefinite hunger strike for the last 13 days, demanding justice for Abhaya, the victim in the RG Kar case. The doctors have also been demanding better working, safety, and security conditions for healthcare professionals in West Bengal.

The doctors also call for the immediate removal of West Bengal Health Secretary NS Nigam.

Ever since the strike was launched on October 5, six doctors in the strike had to be hospitalised due to deteriorating health from the strike — which has not acted as a deterrent for the doctors.

Kolkata doctors receive support from the nation’s medical fraternity

Ever since the junior doctors of Kolkata launched their indefinite hunger strike, they have been receiving support and solidarity from their fellow doctors, medical students & faculty members, and associations all over India.

On October 15, thousands of junior doctors across India launched a 12-hour hunger strike in support of the junior doctors in Kolkata, responding to a call given by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

In addition, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) issued an ultimatum to the West Bengal Government, urging Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to issue written directives to implement the doctors’ demands, and called for a boycott of elective services across India.

Even teaching faculty from various medical colleges and teaching hospitals in West Bengal, such as the Medical College & Hospital of Kolkata and the Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research & Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial (IPGMER & SSKM) Hospital in Kolkata threatened to resign upon the state’s inaction to meet the protestors’ demands.