As per an official notice date August 16 from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, faculty members of various medical colleges of the state have been transferred.
As per an India Today report, as many as 42 professors and doctors ave been reshuffled. Among the 42 are Dr Sangeeta Paul and Dr Supriya Das who were carrying out duties at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata.
This comes in light of the series of protests being held across the state, and the country, against the brutal rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee (PGT) doctor earlier this month, at RG Kar. This gruesome incident has started conversations around safety at workplace, especially that of medical doctors.
Not just that, even 190 female health assistants have been transferred as per an official notice from the Directorate of Health Services, Nursing Branch, Government of West Bengal, dated August 16.
The United Doctors Front Association (UDFA) has condemned the move as an "attempt to break our solidarity". It says in a tweet posted on X, "We demand justice and the immediate reversal of these transfers."
"These punitive measures will not silence our demands for justice and security.We stand united and resolute in our fight," tweeted UDFA.
Since the murder and rape of the PGT doctor, the whole nation has erupted into protests. Not just medical students, but even faculty members have joined in. Many indicate that these transfers are just a way to silence them.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also slammed the move.
