Kolkata: After 17 days of continuous hunger strike, the junior protesting doctors on Monday evening said that following request from RG Kar rape and murder victim’s parents they are withdrawing the hunger strike. Talking to the media, Dr. Debashish Haldar said that they will also not go on a work strike on October 22.
“The protests will continue but we are withdrawing the hunger strike. On coming Saturday we will hold a mass convention at RG Kar hospital. Today we met the Chief Minister but we didn’t like their body language. However, they have said that those demands which the administration has accepted will be sent in writing by Tuesday 3 pm,” said Haldar.
Haldar also expressed his disappointment after Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam was not removed from the post.
De. Arnab Mukherjee, one of the doctors who was on hunger strike said that if needed he along with others will again sit for hunger strike demanding ‘Justice’ for RG Kar rape and murder incident.
Earlier this day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met a delegation of 17 doctors at state secretariat Nabanna for two hours which was streamed live to maintain transparency.
During the meeting, various demands of the doctors were addressed, including the prevailing ‘threat culture’ at various government hospitals.
Mamata also expressed her disappointment after 47 people from RG Kar medical college and hospital were suspended over their involvement in the ‘threat culture’.
“It is also a threat culture that without any proper probe so many people were suspended. How can these students or resident doctors be suspended just based on complaints? Who has given the right to the hospital authorities to do so without informing the state government?” asked Mamata.
Aniket Mahata, a protesting doctor, said that those who were suspended were ‘goons in disguise of students and were part of threat culture’.
“There should be a healthy and normal environment in the medical college-hospital. Those who won’t even get 10 marks if the papers are checked properly have become house staff,” further mentioned Mahata.
Mamata also agreed to set up a STF where two senior resident doctors, two junior resident doctors, one woman medical student along with government officials will be kept to address the problems faced by the medics.
The junior medics had also submitted a detailed document against the health secretary to justify their claims to remove Nigam from his post.
