RG Kar Murder Case: Government urges junior doctors to return to work

RG Kar Murder Case: As the state government pushed them to return to work, irate junior doctors in West Bengal carried out their third day of a fast-unto-death on Monday, demanding justice for the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital.

The infuriated physicians also declared that they would plan a protest march for Tuesday night, starting at College Square in the heart of Kolkata and ending at Dharmatala.

We will also undertake a symbolic hunger strike at all of the state’s medical schools and hospitals tomorrow. Participating in it will be representatives from many organizations of physicians. This will begin at 9:00 am and go until 9:00 pm. We’re going to have a demonstration in Kolkata as well,” a West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum member said.

Just a few days remain until Durga Puja begins, and since Saturday night, the junior physicians have been fasting till they die.

Junior Doctors on Hunger Strike

Arnab Mukhopadhyay of SSKM Hospital, Pulastha Acharya of NRS Medical College and Hospital, Sayantani Ghosh Hazra of KPC Medical College, Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja, Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Kolkata Medical College, and Aniket Mahato of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital are among the junior doctors who were fasting.

“We’re going to keep protesting until we get what we want. We will not yield to outside pressure in our protests to get justice for our sister who passed away. Now or never, Mahato said to PTI.

In support of their younger colleagues, senior physicians Srabani Maitra and Srabani Chakraborty began a 24-hour fast at the protest location.

“To help the young physicians, we have joined forces. Additionally, 10–15 more senior physicians will accompany them. They’ll fast for a whole day as well, according to Mitra.

Mitra and Chakraborty attended the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as students in the past.

Senior doctors in West Bengal, according to Dr. Hiralal Konar of the Joint Platform of Doctors, would begin a relay hunger strike on Tuesday.

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant urged young physicians to resume their work, stating that 90% of current projects at the state’s medical institutions will be finished by the end of the month.

“I’m asking everyone to return to their jobs and serve the public. A few of them have already done so. All of us are trying to make the environment better. He said in the state secretariat, “They (junior medics) will appreciate that very good progress has been made on the promises made by the government.”

“I’ll ask everyone to participate in the tasks. We are attempting to create the safer atmosphere that people want. Everyone is acting with good intentions. As far as the bigger goal is concerned, there is no disagreement,” he said.

Pant met with NS Nigam, the health secretary, and officials from many medical institutions.

One of the irate physicians said that the health indicators of the medics on fast are being monitored.

“They’ve been on a fast for more than fifty hours. We don’t want to take a risk since this may be harmful to their health. In the event that someone dies, the West Bengal administration would be held accountable, he said.

The physicians, who were furious, said that the police were preventing them from installing bio-toilets at the protest location near Dharmatala’s Dorina Crossing. They gheraoed the Bowbazar police station in the evening, claiming that mattresses and chairs that had been rented for the demonstration site had been taken.

Following an almost hour-long argument, the physicians were granted permission to use the seats and beds. After that, they marched to the protest location while bearing those on their heads.

“According to the police, we are not permitted to keep the mattresses and chairs here because they may injure onlookers. What a nonsensical remark, a junior physician said.

The junior physicians’ October 4 “total cease work” had severely hampered state-run medical institutions’ and hospitals’ ability to provide healthcare.

The medics who were demonstrating emphasized that their top objective is still getting justice for the lady medic who died.

Along with demanding responsibility for the alleged administrative ineptitude and action against corruption in the agency, they also demanded the immediate dismissal of the health secretary.

A centralized referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, a bed vacancy monitoring system, and task forces to guarantee basic amenities like CCTV, on-call rooms, and restrooms at their places of employment are among the other demands.

In addition, they want more police presence in hospitals, the hiring of female officers on a permanent basis, and the prompt filling of open jobs for medical professionals, including nurses and physicians.

On September 21, they put a stop to their agitation after 42 days, after the state administration promised to investigate their requests.