The hunger strike of junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of women doctors in Kolkata has ended on the 17th day. Along with this, the health strike of doctors has also ended on Tuesday. A panel of doctors held discussions with CM Mamata for almost 2 hours at the Secretariat in Nabanna on Monday evening.
The junior doctor, who has been on hunger strike since October 5, was demanding justice in the rape-murder case of a trainee doctor. They are also demanding changes in the healthcare structure of the state. Junior doctors will organize a group conference at RG Kar Hospital on 26th October.
On October 19, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant invited doctors to meet CM Mamata today. 45 minutes were allotted for discussion, but the meeting lasted for 2 hours.
On October 20, CM Mamata Banerjee appealed to end the fast. Meanwhile, he said that most of the demands of the doctors have been fulfilled.
The junior doctors said on Sunday that the fast movement will not be called off before the meeting.
Health services should not be affected Mamata said that everyone has the right to protest, but health services should not be affected. It is not possible to remove everyone in a section at once. We have already eliminated DHS and DME, so get over politics and get back to work.
The junior doctors were on a hunger strike for the past 15 days demanding justice for trainee doctors and improvement in medical facilities. So far six doctors have been hospitalized due to ill health, while eight others are on an indefinite fast. Doctors demand that the state government take concrete steps to solve this problem by October 21.
Mamata said- Is it right that the doctor decides who should be removed? Mamata Banerjee also requested the doctors to end their fast and meet on Monday. She said, 'I have removed the Commissioner of Police (CP), Director of Medical Education (DME) and Director of Health Services (DHS), but I cannot remove the entire department.'
He asked if it is logical that you decide which officer should be removed? Some demands require policy making and the government will fully cooperate in this, but we do not accept that doctors should dictate to the government what to do.
Chief Secretary Manoj Pant met the doctors on hunger strike and tried to convince them to end the strike.
The doctors had earlier presented 5 demands, out of which the government fulfilled 3 The junior doctors went on a 42-day strike from August 10 to September 21 to protest the rape-murder incident. The doctors had earlier put 5 demands before the government. Out of which the government accepted 3 demands. CM Mamata assured to consider two other demands and conditions.
After this the doctors ended the strike. He returned to work in hospitals. On 27 September, a case of thrashing of 3 doctors and 3 nurses at Sagar Dutta Hospital came to light, which angered the doctors and resumed the strike from 1 October.
On 4 October, the junior doctors called off the strike, but the strike continued. He said that we are returning to work as government hospitals are facing problems with large number of patients. However, he gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the state government. After this he started fasting.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
