Hyderabad: While the outrage among the medical fraternity has taken a formidable shape, the locals and general public have mixed reactions on the issue.
Some are partially aware of the Kolkata murder case. Rajesh, an autorickshaw driver, who has a daughter working as a software engineer, agreed with the doctors’ demand for greater security. “Trust is hard to establish these days. In the Kolkata case, the interns from the same college and the principal is said to be involved. As general citizens, we can only ask our daughters to be safe but to what extent? The ones who committed the crime need to be punished to serve as deterrent for others,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
A few vendors located outside the doctors’ protest camp at Dharna Chowk said “encounter justice” was a better way of handling criminals of such heinous crimes. The demand for “exemplary” punishment also came from one of the junior doctors from the Osmania General Hospital, who said that it was important for instilling fear in criminals.
“Make the parents punish the criminals or hand them over to the public. In a country where a girl is raped every 16 minutes, it shows that there is no fear of the law, no fear of punishment,” the junior doctor said.
The doctors’ also expressed concern over the collective social mindset that allows for such incidents to take place. “Sexual violence against women exists globally. Unless society decides to say no to violence against women, we will not come to any conclusion,” said
Dr Shanta Kumari, state president for Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and ex-president of FOGSI.
“Unfortunately, it takes a rape or murder of a woman to wake us up. We do dharnas, protests, candlelights and after a day or two the issue goes on the back burner. In this case as well, where is societal participation? Wasn’t the victim a woman first and then a doctor,” Dr Kumari asked.
Junior doctors said they have received negative comments on their social media accounts for boycotting services. "People do not realise that this fight is not just for us. Safety is an overall issue. The conditions we have to work in, with one washroom for 100 people and threat of attacks, is not recognised by authorities and general public," said Dr Rahul Kommu, state president, TJUDA.
PG aspirants at the IMA protest expressed fear and concern over the lack of security in medical colleges. “Patients and their relatives have no fear of consequences. Media and films are also responsible for showing doctors as corrupt and extracting money from patients,” said Dr Keerthana, a PG aspirant.
