RG Kar issue: Doctors threaten to go on strike in Bengal on Oct 22 if demands not met

Kolkata: Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal, who have been seeking justice for their deceased colleague at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Friday threatened to hold a strike by all medics in the state on October 22 if their demands are not met.

Stating that they are in talks with their colleagues in other states, the medics said there may also be a country-wide strike by doctors on Tuesday over the issue.

The junior medics said that they, along with senior doctors, were giving a deadline to the state government till October 21 to fulfil their demands.

"We want the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) to sit for a discussion and implement all our demands," Debasish Halder, one of the agitating junior doctors, told reporters.

"Unless this is done, all the junior and senior doctors of both government and private healthcare facilities will be forced to go on strike on Tuesday," he said after a meeting between the junior doctors and their seniors here.

Claiming that the doctors were not against the interest of the people, he said they had withdrawn their earlier cease work for the same.

"Our colleagues are holding a fast-unto-death. If the chief minister does not act by Monday, we will be forced to go on a strike on Tuesday," he said.

Halder said that their colleagues are continuing their indefinite fast to press for their demands.

The fast-unto-death by the agitating medics in West Bengal entered the 14th day on Friday over demands for justice for the deceased woman doctor of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital and workplace security.

The woman postgraduate trainee of the state-run hospital was allegedly raped and murdered in August.

So far, six fasting junior doctors have been hospitalised after their health condition deteriorated, a protesting medic said, adding that eight doctors are currently on indefinite fast at the agitation site in Esplanade in the heart of the city.

"If any patient's health suffers owing to a strike on Tuesday, the state government will have to take responsibility for that," he said.

Sayantani Ghosh Hazra, another protesting doctor, questioned why Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had not visited them even though their fast-unto-death has been continuing for 14 days.

"She is the guardian of the state and we are like her children. Could she not visit us once over our valid demands," Hazra, a post-graduate trainee doctor, said.

Hazra has been on fast since October 5.

Halder said that the junior doctors will also hold demonstrations at various hospitals on Monday.

"We are also in talks with our colleagues in other states and there may be a country-wide strike on Tuesday over the issue," he said.

Halder said the protesting doctor will hold a mega rally on Sunday and appealed to citizens to join them.

The protesting doctors are demanding justice for the deceased woman medic and immediate removal of state Health Secretary N S Nigam.

Their 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 such as CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.

The junior doctors went on a cease work following the rape-murder of their fellow medic at R G Kar 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.

Meanwhile, a meeting between Narayan Banerjee, a senior doctor and a known Left sympathiser, and Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on Thursday led to criticism from the agitating medics.

Banerjee said that he held the meeting in the interest of resolving the deadlock through dialogue.

"Dr Narayan Banerjee supports several of the demands of junior doctors. He also has a practical approach towards resolving the imbroglio keeping in mind the health condition of the medics," Ghosh said about the meeting.

The Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal, however, said that Banerjee has acted in his personal capacity and is not representing them.

Inputs from PTI.