Commenting on the Supreme Court directive on the Kolkata rape-murder case, the All-India Residents and Junior Doctors’ Joint Action Forum, one of the doctors’ bodies opined that the top court’s suggestion does not address the core problems plaguing the healthcare system while admitting that the directive was well-intentioned.

Asserting that the doctors are not ready to relent until justice is delivered, the culprit is held, and the systemic issues in the healthcare system are addressed, the forum stated it would continue its movement.

Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, who led the bench, had that the case is not just a horrifying murder in the Kolkata hospital but a “systemic issue about the safety of doctors” across India. The court also requested that the protesting doctors return to work.

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However, the communique issued by the doctors’ forum further noted that the real issue is a public healthcare system that has been systematically neglected, underfunded, and understaffed for decades. “While the CJI’s call for enhanced security in hospitals is a response to the immediate crisis this cannot be a permanent and feasible solution,” it added, and called for a comprehensive overhaul of the system.

Stating that it is not just a protest but a stand for the safety, dignity, and rights of every medical professional in the country, the resident doctors of RG Kar Medical College, where the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor happened on August 9, maintained that they would continue to cease work until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on Thursday.

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The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), an organisation for resident doctors in India, also echoed a similar sentiment that it would continue the movement, noting that it has held a meeting with representatives of 35 Resident Doctors’ Associations. “The representatives will now consult with resident doctors for their feedback,”  it said, adding that the movement will be guided by the ‘collective voices” of the resident doctors.

While hearing the case, the Supreme Court appealed that doctors cease their work and return to duties as soon as possible, stressing that the absence of doctors affects the section of society that needs medical care. “Doctors and medical professionals can be assured that their concerns are being addressed by the Supreme Court,” the court added.