Few junior doctors, protesting over the alleged rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital, begin their fast unto death, claiming that their demands were not fulfilled by the West Bengal government, in Kolkata, Saturday, October 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Resident doctors of State-run hospitals in West Bengal continued with their hunger strike on Sunday demanding safety and security in medical colleges in the wake of rape and murder of a doctor at R. G. Kar Medical College.
Six junior doctors from different medical colleges and hospitals in the State started a strike at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday after the 24-hour deadline given by the doctors to the State Government ended. They said that the West Bengal Government will be held responsible if the health of the protesters deteriorates and also that there has been no attempts by the State government to engage with the doctors on hunger strike.
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Debasish Halder, one of the agitating doctors, said that the police administration installed CCTV near the protest venue in 24 hours, whereas the administration could not install CCTV cameras in the State-run hospitals. Dr. Halder also added that the doctors wanted to install their own CCTV cameras to monitor the situation around the protest venue.
Demands of the doctors
Their demands include justice for the victim, removal of the State Health Secretary, implementation of safety and security measures and improved patient services in State-run hospitals and medical colleges in West Bengal.
Kolkata Police had on Saturday sent an email to the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) denying them permission for their sit-in-protest and hunger strike.
“It is apprehended that allowing such a programme at the proposed place will cause great inconvenience to the general public and may lead to serious law and order problems,” the email from Kolkata Police read. The police had also not allowed decorators at the protest venue. On Sunday, the doctors were seen erecting makeshift toilets on their own.
Since the rape and murder of the doctor at R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, protesting junior doctors observed two cease-work protests and met with the West Bengal government, including the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The State government issued directives for improving the safety and security of the hospitals.
Two junior doctors during their fast unto death, in Kolkata, Saturday, Oct 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
On Friday, the junior doctors had called off their ‘total cease work’, which had crippled healthcare services at State-run medical colleges and hospitals. However, on Saturday, junior doctors alleged that very little progress had been made by the government in implementing these directives.
A team of junior doctors visited Jaynagar where the body of a child was found. The family members have alleged that the child was sexually assaulted before being killed.
Published – October 06, 2024 11:38 am IST