Bengal doctors continue strike as Supreme Court deadline to resume work ends
Junior doctors in state-run hospitals across West Bengal on Tuesday defied a Supreme Court-mandated deadline to return to work, instead upping the ante by taking their protest to the doorstep of the state health ministry by organising a sit-in and demanding the resignation of a string of top officials.
The striking medics said they were disappointed with the order of the Supreme Court, which on Monday had reiterated the need for doctors to balance their duty towards the public with their legitimate concerns about safety.
The doctors marched from Karunamoyee to Swasthya Bhavanand sat outside the Swathya Bhavan in Salt Lake after being stopped by the police.
“We have given a deadline to the state government till 5 pm on Tuesday to meet our demands. The cease work will continue till the government meets our demands. So, whether the cease work will continue or not depends on the government,” said a protesting doctor.
The junior doctors — who have boycotted work since August 9 over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital — demanded the resignation of the city police commissioner, health secretary, director of health education and director of medical education, and justice for the victim, among others.
“We have a set of five demands including resignation of some top officials such as Director of Health Services (DHS), Director of Medical Education (DME), health secretary and police commissioner. The demand for resignation of DHS, DME and state health secretary are new. We have also demanded increased security in hospital campus with CCTV coverage, a democratic environment and forming students union,” said Aniket Mahata, a protesting doctor.