RG Kar Protest: West Bengal junior doctors end ‘fast-unto-death’ on 16th day after meeting CM Mamata Banerjee
Junior doctors in West Bengal end their 16-day 'fast-unto-death' after a meeting with CM Mamata Banerjee, addressing demands including safety concerns in hospitals. They also confirmed no 'cease work' on October 22.
Junior doctors in West Bengal have called off their “fast-unto-death” after 16 days of protest following a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They also announced the end of their strike across hospitals in the state.
"We have decided that we will respect the request from the common people who have supported us throughout, we are withdrawing our hunger strike but we will continue the fight," said Debashish Haldar, one of the protesting junior doctors.
Notably, this was the first meet between protesting junior doctors and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee that was live streamed.
Dialogue on ‘Threat Culture’ Between Mamata and Junior Doctors
The two-hour meeting took place on Monday evening at the state secretariat, Nabanna, marking the first time discussions between the protesting doctors and the chief minister were streamed live. The talks addressed several critical issues, including the pervasive “threat culture” in state-run hospitals.
Chief Minister alleged, “At RG 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 based on complaints?”
CM Banerjee queried, “Who gave the college authorities the right to take such a step without informing the state government? Is this not a threat culture?”
Aniket Mahato, one of the doctors on strike who had to be hospitalised after five days of fasting, countered Mamata Banerjee by saying that those who had been suspended were part of the threat culture and “don’t deserve to be doctors”.
Aniket sought that examinations to these posts need to be ‘transparent’. The RG Kar medico further flagged that in case authorities checked the exam scripts of past 2 years with central agency, it would “reveal a lot”.
“Won't even get 10 marks, they are now house staff”, countered Aniket Mahato.
CM Mamata Banerjee urged the junior doctors to end their fast, stating that most of their demands had already been met by the state government, except for the removal of the state health secretary N S Nigam.
What did the Junior doctors demand?
“There should be a healthy and normal environment in the medical college-hospital. And RG Kar Medical's name keeps coming up in this context”, agitating doctors said.
“Students have been threatened by using administrative powers. If they are still on the council, the board, there is room for doubt”, the Junior doctors pointed out.
“We are not in the place of any politics, we want a healthy environment”, the doctors told CM Banerjee while also talking about the bloodied gloves that were delivered to them.
Background of the RG Kar Protests
These protests were ignited by the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical Hospital in August. Since then, junior doctors have staged two statewide cease-work protests and initiated an indefinite hunger strike, demanding justice for the victim and systemic reforms in the healthcare system.
The doctors had warned the West Bengal government that if their demand for the dismissal of state health secretary N S Nigam was not met, they would organise a nationwide strike on 22 October.
Health Concerns of Protesting Doctors
During the ongoing hunger strike, six doctors have been hospitalised due to health complications, while eight others continue their fast, urging the government to take meaningful action regarding their demands.
Doctors Snigdha Hazra and Sayantani Hazra had continued the fast for 16 days.
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Business NewsNewsIndiaRG Kar Protest: West Bengal junior doctors end ‘fast-unto-death’ on 16th day after meeting CM Mamata Banerjee
First Published:21 Oct 2024, 10:06 PM IST
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