Doctors across Maharashtra have demanded 24×7 security for women doctors in all government and BMC-run medical colleges, in the wake of the alleged rape of a second-year MBBS student in Durgapur, West Bengal, on October 10.
Condemning the incident, the doctors recalled the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata in August 2024. They said that despite earlier government assurances following that tragedy, no concrete safety reforms have been implemented yet.
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) and the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) have urged the state government to take urgent action to ensure women’s safety in hospitals. They warned that if their demands are ignored, resident doctors across the state may resort to protests to push for immediate implementation of safety measures, according to a Free Press Journal report.
The associations have proposed several steps to enhance safety, including tighter hospital security, deployment of more female guards, round-the-clock patrolling inside hospital premises, and secure duty rooms for women doctors. They also recommended assigning security escorts for women doctors during night shifts and ensuring safe passage between wards and buildings. To prevent complacency, they suggested rotating security personnel weekly.
MARD president Dr. Sachin Patil said that while the government had promised reforms after the Kolkata case, “most of those assurances remain only on paper.” He noted that medical colleges in districts such as Jalgaon, Gondia, and Gadchiroli still lack Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) protection, and in places where MSF personnel are deployed, their numbers are insufficient. He also highlighted poor CCTV coverage and inadequate lighting in several hospital areas, making them unsafe for women staff.
FAIMA president Dr. Akshay Dongardive emphasized that safety measures should not be limited to doctors alone but must extend to all women in hospital settings including nurses, sanitation workers, administrative staff, and even female patients. “Every woman within hospital premises should feel safe, regardless of her role,” he said.