Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal continued their fast-unto-death for the third consecutive day on Monday, demanding justice over the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital, even as the state government urged them to return to work.
The agitating doctors also announced that they will organise a protest march on Tuesday evening, from central Kolkata’s College Square to Dharmatala.
“Tomorrow, we will also be holding a symbolic hunger strike at all medical colleges and hospitals across the state. Representatives of various doctors’ associations will take part in it. This will start at 9 am and continue till 9 pm. We will also hold a rally in Kolkata,” said a member of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum.
The junior doctors have been on the fast-unto-death since Saturday evening, with barely days left for Durga Puja to begin.
The junior doctors who were sitting on the fast are Aniket Mahato of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja and Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Kolkata Medical College, Arnab Mukhopadhyay of SSKM Hospital, Pulastha Acharya of NRS Medical College and Hospital, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra of KPC Medical College.
“We will continue the protest till all our demands are met. No external pressure will be able to move us from our path of protest seeking justice for our deceased sister… It’s now or never,” Mahato told PTI.
Senior doctors Srabani Maitra and Srabani Chakraborty started a 24-hour fast at the protest site in solidarity with their juniors.
“We have joined the young doctors to support them. Moreover, 10-13 other senior doctors will join them. They will also fast for 24 hours,” Mitra said.
Both Mitra and Chakraborty are former students of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr Hiralal Konar of the Joint Platform of Doctors West Bengal said senior medics would start a relay hunger strike from Tuesday.
Urging the junior doctors to return to work, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said that 90 per cent of the ongoing projects undertaken at medical colleges in the state would be completed by next month.
“I am requesting everyone to come back to work and give services to the people. Some of them already have. We are all working towards improving the environment. They (junior medics) will appreciate that very good progress has been made on the promises made by the government,” he said at the state secretariat.
“I will request them all to join duties. What they want is a safer environment and we are working towards that. There is a positive intent from everybody’s side. There is no difference of opinion so far as over larger objective is concerned,” he added.
Pant held a meeting with Health Secretary NS Nigam and representatives of various medical colleges.
The health parameters of the medics who are on fast are under watch, one of the agitating doctors said.
“They have been fasting for over 50 hours. This may hamper their health and we do not want to take any chance. The West Bengal government will be held responsible in case of any fatality,” he said.
The agitating doctors alleged the police were not allowing them to set up bio-toilets at the protest site in Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala. In the evening, they gheraoed the Bowbazar police station, alleging that chairs and beds hired for the protest site were seized.
After nearly an hour-long wrangle, the doctors were allowed to take the beds and chairs. They then carried those on their heads and walked to the protest site.
“Police were saying that we will not be allowed to keep the beds and chairs here as these materials can hurt the passersby. What an illogical statement,” a junior doctor said.
The junior doctors had on October 4 called off their ’total cease work’, which had crippled healthcare services at state-run medical colleges and hospitals.
The protesting doctors emphasised that securing justice for the deceased woman medic remains their foremost priority.
They also called for the immediate removal of the health secretary as well as accountability for the alleged administrative incompetence and action against corruption in the department.
Other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
They are also demanding increased police protection in hospitals, recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.
The junior doctors went on to cease work following the rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government to look into their demands.
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