Kolkata Rape-Murder: Bengal Junior Doctors Again On ‘Cease Work’ Stir For Indefinite Period From Today

Kolkata: Agitating junior doctors in Bengal will resume their indefinite “total cease work” today. This comes after they had rejoined duties partially at government hospitals on September 21 after a 42-day protest following the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. The call to resume the agitation comes at a time when another incident of violence against doctors hit the state a couple of days back.

 Another case of violence in Bengal hosp

After a patient was declared dead in state-run College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital (CMSDH) in Kamarhati in Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, the bereaved family attacked and injured doctors and nurses. The junior doctors at this medical college had alleged that the police did not intervene on time despite a newly set up police outpost within the premises, reports stated. Junior doctors at Sagore Dutta Hospital had launched agitation following the incident and had also expressed solidarity with the protesting doctors of RG Kar Hospital.

Thus, junior doctors in the state have once again taken the ‘cease work’ route to press the state government on various demands, including ensuring their safety and security at all medical establishments.

“We do not see any positive approach from the state government to fulfil our demands for safety and security. Today is the 52nd day (of the protest) and we are still being attacked and there is no attempt to keep the other promises made during the meetings with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In the given situation, we are left with no option other than opting for full cease work, starting today,” Aniket Mahato, one of the agitating junior doctors, told PTI.

‘What is CBI & Supreme Court doing?’

The junior doctors in the state raised questions regarding the ‘slow-paced’ CBI investigation in the rape and murder case. They released an official statement, raising their demands, under the banner of West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front. “The Supreme Court, which had taken the initiative to expedite the trial of this heinous incident, has instead only postponed hearings and reduced the actual length of the proceedings. We are disappointed and angered by this protracted judicial process,” the statement read.

What are the doctors demanding?

They once again pressed their demand for including representatives of junior doctors in decision-making committees of hospitals and medical colleges and wanted an end to the alleged prevalence of ‘threat culture’ in all medical colleges and hospitals in the state. They demanded setting up of inquiry committees in every medical college ‘to investigate those involved in the threat syndicate and punish them.’ They also demanded immediate conduct of students’ council elections at all medical colleges. “The rampant corruption and lawlessness inside WBMC (West Bengal Medical Council) and  WBHRB (West Bengal Health Recruitment Board) must be brought under enquiry (sic…inquiry) immediately,” it read.