Junior docs march towards Swasthya Bhawan, set 5 pm deadline for Bengal govt to fulfill demands

PTI, Sep 10, 2024, 3:12 PM IST

A week after staging a demonstration outside the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar, hundreds of junior doctors marched towards Swasthya Bhawan on Tuesday demanding justice for the rape-murder victim at RG Kar Hospital and resignation of Kolkata CP and several health officials over the incident.

Replicating the symbolism of carrying a model spine to Lalbazar last week, the protesting medics showcased brooms and even a model brain while marching towards the West Bengal health department headquarters in Sector 5 of Salt Lake, in their bid to “clean up” the state health sector and make the top brass “think” about the plight of the doctors.

A huge police contingent has been deployed and barricades erected to stop the protesters at the Swasthya Bhawan entrance.

The protesters set a deadline of 5 pm for the state government to accept their charter of five demands which includes the resignation of the Kolkata Police Commissioner, state Health Secretary, Director of Health Education (DHE), and Director of Health Services (DHS), failing which they said they would stage a sit-in in front of Swasthya Bhawan.

The deadline coincided with the Supreme Court’s time limit to the agitating medics to resume their duties by 5 pm on Tuesday to avoid adverse action from the state government.

“We are holding a peaceful march. We have specified our demands for justice for the victim and resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner, the state Health Secretary, Director of Health Education (DHE), and Director of Health Services (DHS). If the state government meets our demands, we will think about joining duty,” one of the protesting doctors said.

“We want the state government to ‘clean’ the health sector. We are carrying the brooms to initiate the cleaning programme. We will wait till 5 pm for the state to fulfill our demands, failing which we will start a sit-in. We are, however, open to any kind of discussion with the state government,” he added.

From the evening of August 9, after the body of a woman medic was found inside RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the junior doctors have started a cease work at all state government hospitals across West Bengal crippling healthcare services.

The state government has claimed that 23 patients have lost their lives and several could not be treated because of the ongoing cease work of the junior doctors.

The Supreme Court passed the direction on the doctors’ stir after the West Bengal government assured it that no action, including punitive transfers, would be taken against the protesting doctors if they resumed work.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Monday offered direct talks with the agitating doctors to address their grievances.

“The Supreme Court has requested you to join duty, and I repeat that request. If you have anything to say, you are always welcome. You can form a team of 5 to 10 members and meet me,” Banerjee had said.