Senior doctors from ten organisations met with the West Bengal government on Monday, but the talks fell through. Junior doctors are still on an indefinite hunger strike, demanding systemic changes and justice for the victim of the August 9 rape and murder at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Seven junior physicians from different hospitals were participating in the hunger strike, which started on October 4. Tanaya Panja, the fifth striker, was taken to the hospital on Monday night in critical condition. Four more remained in the hospital until Sunday. They were replaced by three doctors.
The Indian Medical Association’s Junior Doctors’ Network has declared that its members will stage a 12-hour hunger strike (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) at all medical colleges and hospitals nationwide on Tuesday, when the Supreme Court is expected to review the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) investigation into the death of the Kolkata doctor, in solidarity with their West Bengal counterparts.
Describing the two-and-a-half hour meeting with state’s senior doctors as “some progress,” chief secretary Manoj Pant said: “Of the 10 demands junior doctors raised, the state is implementing seven. We urge them to end the hunger strike and return to work.”
Dr Manas Gumta from the Joint Platform of Doctors said: “Convening a meeting without the health secretary was a meaningless exercise. The government was not ready to set deadlines for implementing the demands. Also, it was not ready to discuss the three remaining demands, of which removal of the health secretary (N S Nigam) is one.”
Along with these three demands, Dr. Sudipta Roy, a member for the Trinamool Congress, is to be removed from her positions as head of the health recruiting board and the West Bengal Medical Council. A comprehensive restructure of the hiring process is an additional requirement.
“We told the doctors clearly that we cannot declare any timeline or discuss the three demands. That is their demand. It is the state government’s prerogative to decide what is to be done and at what point of time,” Pant told the media.
As the hunger strike persisted at Kolkata’s main thoroughfare, Rani Rashmoni Avenue, the movement’s youthful leaders led a march to Raj Bhawan on Monday afternoon to voice their displeasure with the CBI investigation.
Days after being detained by the city police as the main suspect, Sanjay Roy, a volunteer for the Kolkata police, was taken into prison by the CBI on the orders of the Calcutta high court dated August 13.
“The CBI fled a chargesheet naming Roy as the sole perpetrator which we refuse to believe. The CBI is silent on RG Kar Hospital’s former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh and the former officer-in-charge of Tala police station although the agency arrested both in the rape and murder case. We are not happy with the probe,” said Debasish Haldar, one of the leaders of junior doctors’ agitation said.
Governor C V Ananda Bose was taking rest and could not hold any discussion, Kinjal Nanda, another face of the agitation, said outside the Raj Bhawan. “We only handed our memorandum to him and left,” said Nanda.
Referring to the meeting the government held with senior doctors, Haldar said : “We don’t know what transpired because we were not there but we completely disagree with the chief secretary’s claim that seven demands are being implemented fast. These include revamping of security arrangements at hospitals.”
The junior physicians were previously met three times by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also in charge of the health and home departments. For the first time, the government convened with groups that advocated for senior physicians from both public and private healthcare facilities.
While government physicians at Birbhum district hospital began a 48-hour cease-work at non-emergency departments, medical workers and doctors at over a dozen private hospitals, including Manipal Hospital, Dhakuria, held a cease-work at non-emergency departments on Monday.
The Joint Platform of Doctors invited the public to participate in their droho (revolt) funfair on Tuesday at Rani Rashmoni Avenue, as the five-day Durga puja drew to a close.
Chief secretary Pant asked the doctors at Monday’s meeting to refrain from their protest, citing concerns that the doctors’ carnival may have an impact on the Durga idol immersion carnival on Red Road, an annual event that Mamata Banerjee started in 2016 to highlight Bengal’s heritage.
“We sent them an e-mail on Sunday and verbally requested them today. We hope they will not hold their carnival,” Pant told reporters.
Since eminent citizens and foreign dignitaries are invited to the state event, the Kolkata police started making elaborate security arrangements at Red Road.
“We will hold our carnival as planned. Let the government go forward with its celebrations,” Dr Hiralal Konar, one of the convenors, said.
“To support our seniors, we will form a human chain from the venue of the hunger strike. Let us see how far it extends,” said Debasish Haldar.
Meanwhile, TMC Lok Sabha member Kalyan Banerjee took a jibe at the junior doctors on Monday, triggering a row.
“We had heard of fast unto death. This is fast unto hospitalisation. They don’t have the mettle to carry out hunger strikes. They are doing all this to serve their interests. Let them visit a village and people will show what happens to doctors who escape from duty,” Banerjee told the media.
“Is Banerjee implying that we should leave our colleagues in critical condition and let them die? We cannot do that. He should know that people fall sick when they are on fast. My colleagues are not on a diet of cakes and sandwiches,” Debasish Haldar said.
