In a significant development in West Bengal’s healthcare sector, senior doctors have appealed to junior doctors to reconsider their decision to continue a complete strike at government hospitals. This comes after junior doctors initiated a cease-work on October 1, demanding stronger safety measures following a series of violent incidents and the tragic murder of a colleague at RG Kar Hospital.
During discussions held on Thursday, senior doctors, including Maitrei Bandyopadhyay, head of the microbiology department at RG Kar Medical College, expressed their concerns over the complete shutdown. Bandyopadhyay emphasized the need for a balanced approach, stating, “Partial cease-work and agitation should continue parallelly. We all want justice for ‘Abhaya’ (the victim), but we also need to ensure that patients do not suffer.”
Despite the ongoing discussions, no official statement was released regarding the outcome of the meeting as of late evening. The junior doctors’ strike initially began on August 9 in response to the murder of a fellow junior doctor, which sparked nationwide outrage and calls for enhanced security in hospitals.
On September 21, after 41 days of protests, junior doctors partially resumed work following verbal assurances from the state government regarding improved safety measures. However, the recent mob attack on junior doctors at Sagore Dutta Hospital, triggered by allegations of medical negligence, led to the resumption of the full strike.
Subarna Goswami, a senior doctor involved in the negotiations, remarked, “We have to see how the protests can be intensified without causing any inconvenience to the patients.” This sentiment was echoed by Jawhar Sircar, who recently resigned as a TMC Rajya Sabha MP due to the RG Kar incident. He cautioned junior doctors against a complete work stoppage, suggesting they consider the potential impact on patients.
The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, which has been at the forefront of the protests, stated in a recent communication, “We are compelled to return to a full cease-work starting from today. Unless we receive clear action from the government on safety, patient services, and the politics of fear, we will have no choice but to continue our full strike.”
The Supreme Court has also criticized the state administration for the “tardy progress” in addressing security and infrastructure issues in state-run hospitals. In response, Governor CV Ananda Bose expressed hope that the government would work towards finding a solution and delivering justice.
Political responses have also emerged, with the BJP extending support to the junior doctors while urging the state government to fulfill their demands. Meanwhile, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee criticized the junior doctors for denying treatment to patients while seeking justice, highlighting the challenges of balancing protest actions with patient care.
As negotiations continue, both junior and senior doctors remain vigilant in their quest for improved safety and security measures in West Bengal’s healthcare system.
Sources By Agencies
