Junior doctors protesting after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have announced to end the strike. Doctors will return to work from Saturday. However, only emergency services will be open for now, while OPD services will not be operational. Junior doctors were protesting since the August 9 rape incident. They had put forth five demands to the West Bengal government, including the removal of the Kolkata Police Commissioner. After meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, most of the doctors’ demands were accepted. The Supreme Court also took suo motu cognizance of the case and asked the doctors to return to work.
The agitating doctors said, “Emergency, essential services will be partially restored in Bengal government hospitals from Saturday. Necessary steps will be taken to provide medical aid to the flood-affected people in Bengal.” “Our fight for justice is not over yet,” he said. Dr Aqib, one of the protesting doctors, said they will take the protest in a different way. On the 41st day of the protest, he said, “The West Bengal Junior Doctors Front wants to say that we have achieved a lot during our agitation, but many things are still not achieved… We forced the Kolkata Police Commissioner and DME, DHS to resign, but that does not mean the agitation is over. We will take it forward in a new way.” “We still demand that the principal secretary be removed,” Aqib said.
On Thursday, the West Bengal government issued a list of instructions on the safety and efficient functioning of doctors, saying these need to be implemented immediately. These instructions have been issued a day after the government held a meeting with junior doctors agitating on these issues. In a two-page letter sent by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to Principal Secretary (Health) NS Nigam, “the need for adequate availability of duty rooms, toilets, CCTV, drinking water facilities in health centers has been mentioned.”
One of the 10 directives issued said that the work in this regard should be completed as soon as possible. The directive came hours after junior doctors handed over a draft of the main points of the meeting held with the West Bengal government last night to Pant. It also said that the state has appointed former Director General of Police (DGP) Surjit Kar Purkayastha to conduct a security audit of all medical colleges and hospitals. According to the directive, all the instructions should be implemented immediately.
Registration of former principal Sandip Ghosh also cancelled
At the same time, the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) cancelled the registration of Sandeep Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Hospital. An official gave this information. Ghosh is currently in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case of alleged rape and murder of a female trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital. Ghosh’s name has been removed from the list of registered doctors prepared by the WBMC. The official said that Ghosh’s license was canceled under various provisions of the Bengal Medical Act 1914. He said that Ghosh is an orthopedic surgeon and he will not be able to treat without a license. Ghosh was arrested by the CBI on September 2 in connection with alleged involvement in financial irregularities in the hospital. His arrest came after protests against the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor posted on duty. Later he was also accused of tampering with evidence in the case.
