Protesting junior doctors of Kolkata have finally called off their 17-day-long hunger strike on Monday on the request of the parents of the trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at the R G Kar Hospital and Medical College in August this year. The decision was taken following a general body meeting of the doctors. This comes after several junior doctors were hospitalised as their health deteriorated following prolonged hunger strike.
The protesting doctors also had a meeting with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and voiced their demands and concerns over their security in front of the CM. The doctors have demanded better working conditions and infrastructure improvements healthcare in the two-hour-long meeting held at the state secretariat, Nabanna.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister urged the junior doctors to end their ‘fast-unto-death’, stating that most of their demands had been addressed. However, she refused to entertain their demand of removing the state Health Secretary.
“In the meeting with the CM, we did get the assurance of some directives. The common people have stood by us throughout and wholeheartedly supported us. The common people as well as the parents of our deceased sister (RG Kar hospital victim), have been requesting us to call off the hunger strike, keeping in mind our deteriorating health. We are therefore withdrawing our ‘fast-unto-death’ and also Tuesday’s total shutdown in the health sector,” one of the protesting doctors said.
PTI Photo
The R G Kar case and protests
A 31-year-old trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered inside Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on the 9th of August this year. The horrific crime took place around 4 a.m when the trainee doctor went to sleep in a seminar room of the hospital during a break from her duty.
Following this, junior doctors in Kolkata went on “cease work” following the incident and have been continuously protesting demanding that the culprits be arrested and punished. They have also been voicing concerns over the safety and security of doctors and other medical professionals working in night shifts within hospital premises.
The protesting doctors had a meeting with CM Mamata Banerjee earlier in September when she assured them that some of their demands will be considered. However, the doctors started a ‘fast-unto-death’ in Dharmatala in the heart of the city from 5th October alleging that the state government did not fulfil their demands.
‘Mass Convention’ on October 26
Kolkata’s protesting junior doctors have called a “mass convention” on the 26th of October to take a call on how to proceed with their agitation. The doctors have alleged that they are not satisfied after their meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee which was held at the state secretariat, Nabanna, on Monday. Some of the junior doctors have even alleged that their demands were not discussed in detail in Monday’s meeting.
Calcutta High Court stays suspension of junior doctors, CM reacts
Meanwhile, the Calcutta high court on Tuesday stayed the suspension of 59 junior doctors of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. These doctors were suspended and 6 doctors were expelled for protesting against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor inside the hospital on the 9th of August.
Lawyer Arkaprava Sen, representing the suspended junior doctors told the media, “The court passed the stay order after we argued that the suspension and expulsion orders were in complete violation of natural justice.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has also expressed disappointment at the college authority’s decision to suspend and expel protesting doctors. She said, “At R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, several junior doctors and medical students were suspended without following proper procedures and rules. How can these students or resident doctors be suspended just on the basis of complaints? Who gave the college authorities the right to take such a step without informing the state government? Isn’t this a threat culture?”
