RG Kar tragedy: Doctors’ forum sends fresh note to Bengal CS over unmet demands

Kolkata, Sep 26
West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), the umbrella body of doctors spearheading the movement against the rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, sent a fresh email to Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on Thursday, highlighting their unfulfilled demands.

In the communique, a hard copy of which is available with IANS, the WBJDF has highlighted seven demands which they raised in the previous communique on September 19, which are yet to be fulfilled.

In the fresh note to the Chief Secretary on Thursday morning, the forum has accused the state government of taking no action as regards to the formation of the Central Enquiry Committee for disciplinary proceedings against the perpetrators of the ‘threat culture’ in medical colleges.

Second, the forum has claimed that the no directive has been given by the state government to individual colleges to form college-level enquiry committees consisting of undergraduate students and resident doctors for disciplinary proceedings against perpetrators of the "threat culture" in medical colleges.

The third unfulfilled demand is regarding a directive to authorities of various colleges to conduct college council meetings with immediate effect for holding elections to form resident doctors' associations and students' unions with polls to be held within two months.

The fourth demand, according to WBJDF, is the formation of an enquiry committee by the state against West Bengal Medical Council and West Bengal Health Recruitment Board members who are under scrutiny for promoting threat culture and running health syndicates.

The fifth point is regarding a directive for the formation of college-level task force or monitoring committee in every medical college and hospital constituting representatives of junior doctors, senior doctors, students, nursing and healthcare staff in accordance with the Supreme Court order on September 9.

The sixth point is formation of decision-making bodies such as college council, internal complaints committee, patients' welfare committee, anti-ragging squads and committee, hospital committee, house staff selection committee and senior resident counselling committee, besides allocating funds for the same.

The seventh and final point is the directive for implementation of proper and transparent transfer policy for all recruited medical personnel as per West Bengal Service Rules.