GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 19th Oct. Hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Hospital to end their fast-unto-death, the state government extended a call for talks on Monday, contingent upon the withdrawal of their hunger strike.
Earlier in the day, the agitating doctors remained steadfast in their refusal to end their fast until all their demands were met. In a letter addressed to the junior doctors on Saturday evening, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant proposed a meeting on October 21 at 5 PM, asserting that most of the doctors’ demands had already been addressed.
“The Hon’ble Chief Minister hopes that this message will be received with the understanding that the junior doctors will immediately end the hunger strike in the interest of public health and well-being,” Pant stated in the letter. He added, “However, as per your request, if you wish to further discuss these points, you are called for a meeting with the Chief Minister on October 21, Monday, at 5 PM in Nabanna Sabhaghar, with 10 of your colleagues, after the withdrawal of the hunger strike.” The meeting is scheduled to last for only 45 minutes.
During a phone call with the doctors while Chief Secretary Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty visited the protest site in Esplanade, Banerjee urged the junior doctors to end their fast-unto-death. “Everybody has the right to protest, but it shouldn’t affect healthcare services. I would request you all to withdraw your fast,” she said.
The junior doctors are demanding the removal of State Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, alongside other reforms. Banerjee acknowledged their frustrations but emphasized the impracticality of removing multiple officials within a department simultaneously. “How can you decide which officer will be removed or not? Is this logical?” she questioned.
Having entered the fifteenth day of their hunger strike, the junior doctors are advocating for justice for their deceased colleague and calling for systemic changes within the state’s healthcare infrastructure. Six doctors have already been hospitalized due to deteriorating health, while eight others continue their indefinite fast, insisting on concrete action from the state government by October 21 to resolve the ongoing deadlock.
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