The protesting doctors have been demonstrating outside ‘Swathya Bhavan’, the health department’s headquarters in Salt Lake, for over 40 hours.
Junior doctors and medical students stage a protest. Pic/PTI
Junior doctors in West Bengal continued their protest on Thursday, holding a sit-in outside the state's health department office, following the alleged rape and murder of a young female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The strike over the Kolkata doctor rape-murder case, now in its 34th day, has severely disrupted healthcare services in government-run hospitals, reported PTI.
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The protesting doctors, per the report, have been demonstrating outside ‘Swathya Bhavan’, the health department’s headquarters in Salt Lake, for over 40 hours. Their demands include the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a live broadcast of any talks aimed at resolving the situation. However, these preconditions were rejected by the government.
Police around ‘Swathya Bhavan’ have been deployed to manage the situation and regulate traffic.
One of the doctors, speaking to PTI, said, “We will continue our agitation and ‘cease work’. But, we did not want to continue this. The state government is not open to holding any meetings with us. And, we want to make it clear that there is no politics behind our stir."
Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Junior doctors refute claims of stir being politically backed
Reportedly, on Wednesday, Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya suggested that political forces could be encouraging the protest. The doctors fiercely disputed the allegations, calling them unfounded and reaffirmed their determination to continue the strike until their demands are granted.
The government had called the doctors to a meeting at the state secretariat in Nabanna on Wednesday evening. However, there was no confirmation of the Chief Minister's attendance. The medicos declined, requesting that the meeting include Banerjee, be televised live, and have at least 30 representatives, as the protest involves many hospitals.
"We want the discussion to be held in the presence of the CM and be telecast live. We want at least 30 representatives, as this movement is spread across various medical colleges and hospitals," a member of the junior doctors' forum said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Junior doctors' protest began when Kolkata doctor rape-murder case came to forth
The demonstrations began on August 9, when the body of a postgraduate medical student was discovered at RG Kar Hospital with serious injuries. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the case per a Calcutta High Court ruling.
The doctors are calling for justice for their colleague, more protection for women health workers, and the suspension of many officials, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner and the state health secretary, for allegedly mishandling the case.
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