GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 22nd Oct. Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal have decided to end their weeks-long hunger strike, which was triggered by the tragic RG Kar incident. The announcement came on Monday evening following a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The medics also canceled their proposed shutdown of the state’s health sector that was set to begin on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the junior doctors received assurances from the Chief Minister regarding their demands, although they noted that the state government’s body language was not encouraging. Debashish Halder, a representative of the junior doctors, emphasized that the decision to withdraw the hunger strike was largely influenced by the pleas from the public and the parents of their deceased colleague, Abhaya.
“We are withdrawing our ‘fast-unto-death’ and also Tuesday’s total shutdown in the health sector, but this does not mean that we are ending the protest. We will continue to advocate for our demands vigorously in the coming days,” Halder stated.
The medics had previously been on a ‘cease-work’ strike since August 9, following the alleged rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Hospital. The hunger strike began on October 5, amid escalating tensions regarding a prevailing “threat culture” in hospitals.
Following the meeting with the Chief Minister, Halder expressed surprise at the live streaming of the discussion, a request that had previously been denied. He stated, “We had demanded live streaming of our meeting with the CM for transparency, which was turned down, but today’s meeting was held live.”
A 17-member delegation of junior doctors had met with Banerjee to discuss various issues, including calls for justice for their deceased colleague and necessary reforms in the state’s healthcare system. The discussions revealed differing views on the underlying causes of the “threat culture” within hospitals, with Banerjee highlighting the need for adherence to proper procedures during suspensions.
The Chief Minister urged the doctors to withdraw their fast, expressing concern for their well-being. “I want all of you to remain fit and healthy and prosper in your lives,” she said during the meeting, which lasted more than two hours.
In response to their demands, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant assured that written directives would be issued to establish task forces and grievance committees. The junior doctors expressed their desire for these committees to include elected representatives from RDAs and MBBS student unions.
While the hunger strike has been called off, the junior doctors are set to hold a mass convention on Saturday to discuss their ongoing demands and strategies for future actions.
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