RG Kar protest: Junior doctors vow to continue sit-in till all demands are met

Kolkata, Sep 13
The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF) protesting against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital announced on Thursday evening that it will continue with the sit-in outside the Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the state Health Department in Salt Lake, till all their demands are met.

After the scheduled discussion with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee failed on Thursday with the state administration not willing to allow live telecast of the meeting, one of the pre-conditions set by the protesting doctors for the talks, the 30-membr WBJDF delegation returned to the sit-in site in Salt Lake, blaming the 'obstinate attitude' of the state government for the failure of the talks.

Countering the remarks made by Banerjee at a press conference where she claimed the doctors' protest had political colours prompted by the greed for the CM's post, the protesting doctors said they went to the doorsteps of the Secretariat for talks respecting the 'chair' of the Chief Minister.

“We don't want any chair. We want justice for the victim. We have been on the streets for the last 33 days, and if necessary we will remain on the streets for another 33 days. But we will fight for justice till the end,” said one of the protesting doctors.

They also refuted the allegation of the Chief Minister that patients were suffering because of the cease-work call given by the junior doctors.

“The senior doctors are working overtime to serve the patients because they are in solidarity with our protest,” said an agitating junior doctor.

The WBJDF had earlier statistically countered the allegations of the state government that the healthcare system in Bengal was suffering because of their cease-work call.

Claiming that they were just trainee doctors, the protesters said if their absence from duty can result in the collapse of the entire healthcare system, it showed how pathetic the system was, with inadequate trained doctors and lack of associated medical staff.

According to them, of the 245 state-run hospitals in West Bengal, only 26 are medical colleges.

The total number of junior doctors in West Bengal is around 7,500 as against around 93,000 registered doctors, they claimed.