[Source: Reuters]

The murder and rape of a trainee doctor as she took a rest during a long shift in a Kolkata hospital has highlighted the vulnerability of medics left without proper protections and facilities, her colleagues and friends said on Thursday.

The 31-year-old, whose killing has triggered protests across India, had ordered some food with others nearly 20 hours into a 36-hour working day on Friday and then headed off for a short sleep, staff at the R G Kar Medical College told Reuters.

As news of her murder spread, doctors took to the streets alongside women’s groups and Bollywood stars, demanding enhanced safety measures for doctors on duty.

The health ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the letter, not did West Bengal health authorities about working conditions for doctors.

The case has drawn parallels to the notorious gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012 – a case that was the catalyst for sweeping changes in laws, including fast-track courts for sexual assault cases.