Protesting doctors in Kolkata start telemedicine service, health camps

Protesting doctors in Kolkata offer telemedicine services for patients amid ongoing demonstrations for justice

As protests against the rape and murder of a female doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) crossed 21 days, protesting resident doctors from medical colleges in the city started telemedicine facilities for patients from Saturday.

According to an announcement by the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF), resident doctors will hold telephonic consultations for patients from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a daily basis from August 31. They have named the initiative ‘Abhaya Telemedicine Clinic’, after the name given to the victim.

“There is a roster, everyday doctors from different medical colleges will go to RGKMCH to provide this facility,” said a resident doctor who is part of the initiative.  The doctor added that they catered to over 500 patients on the first day.

Telemedicine services will be provided via phone calls, video calls and messaging. Junior doctors have provided four WhatsApp numbers to contact the Abhaya Telemedicine Clinic — 8777565251, 8777569399, 8777579517, 6290326079.

Prescriptions are being written on sheets with the letterhead ‘Abhaya Clinic’ and a watermark that says ‘RG Kar-er bichar chai, oporadhchokrer binash chai’ (We want justice for RG Kar, and annihilation of the crime nexus). Doctors are signing the prescriptions with #JusticeforAbhaya.

Additionally, junior doctors of seven public and private medical colleges of the city, who are part of the WBJDF, will conduct Abhaya Clinic health camps across the city every Sunday. On September 1, the camp will be conducted in north Kolkata’s Kumartuli area, predominantly inhabited by the idol-making community. 

Junior doctors said the health camp and telemedicine services would continue until justice was served and the agitation ended.