A nationwide 24-hour strike organized by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) commenced on Saturday morning in response to the horrific murder and rape of a trainee doctor at a state-run medical college in Kolkata. The protest, which began at 6 a.m. and will last until 6 a.m. on Sunday, has severely impacted medical services across the country, with all health services, excluding essential and emergency services, being suspended.

The medical community is demanding justice for the victim and calling for significant changes in the working and living conditions of resident doctors. One of their primary demands is the introduction of a central law to protect healthcare professionals from violence in the workplace. The IMA has outlined several demands, including a complete overhaul of the working conditions for resident doctors, such as addressing the issue of the grueling 36-hour duty shifts. Additionally, they have called for hospitals to be declared safe zones, with mandatory security measures in place.

The IMA is also pressing for a thorough and professional investigation into the rape and murder case within a specific time frame, emphasizing the need for justice. They have demanded that those involved in the vandalism of the hospital premises be identified and face exemplary punishment. Furthermore, the association is seeking appropriate compensation for the victim's family, commensurate with the severity of the crime.

The strike follows a series of protests held by doctors in various cities on Friday. Medical professionals gathered outside hospitals and government offices in cities such as Kolkata, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Delhi, and others, disrupting services in a joint protest organized by Resident Doctors' Associations. In Delhi, a large protest march took place outside Nirman Bhavan, where key health ministry offices are located.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also joined the protests, leading a march in Kolkata. She called for the death penalty for the accused and urged the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expedite its probe, asking that it be completed by Sunday, August 18. Banerjee claimed that the Kolkata Police had already completed 90 percent of their investigation.

The situation has also sparked political tensions, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensifying its criticism of the West Bengal government. The BJP has demanded Chief Minister Banerjee's resignation, accusing her of failing in her constitutional duties. The party also alleged that the Trinamool Congress attempted to destroy evidence by sending a mob to vandalize RG Kar Hospital on Wednesday night. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar announced that the party would hold a sit-in protest near the hospital, claiming that law and order in the state had collapsed.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose also weighed in, condemning the situation at RG Kar Hospital and referring to it as a "school of scandals." He criticized Chief Minister Banerjee for what he described as her "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" behavior in the face of public outrage over the brutal crime.

The CBI, which is investigating the trainee doctor's murder, questioned the former principal of RG Kar Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, as well as four trainee doctors. The investigation team also interviewed three of the victim's batchmates who were on duty the night of the incident. Meanwhile, Ghosh has approached the High Court seeking security, citing threats to his life.

Kolkata Police have arrested 25 people in connection with the vandalism at RG Kar Hospital, which both the BJP and doctors allege was an attempt to destroy evidence. The suspects were identified through social media inputs, and the police are continuing their search for additional individuals involved.

An inquiry committee from the National Commission for Women (NCW) found significant lapses in both the police investigation and the hospital's security and infrastructure in connection with the case. The 31-year-old second-year postgraduate student was raped and murdered in the hospital's seminar hall on August 9, and one person, a civic volunteer associated with the police, has been arrested in connection with the crime.