The West Bengal Junior doctors, agitated over the RG Kar incident, ended their weeks-long hunger strike on October 21, 2024 (Monday) evening, just hours after meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat Nabanna. The resident doctors had been protesting since October 5 at Esplanade in Kolkata, but unfortunately, over half a dozen of them had to be hospitalized due to deteriorating health conditions.
PTI cited junior doctor Debashish Halder as saying, “Although we received some positive directives during today's meeting with the Chief Minister, the state government's overall demeanor was less than encouraging. We are ending our fast-unto-death and calling off the total shutdown in the health sector on Tuesday, but this decision is not solely due to today’s meeting. It comes in response to requests from the public and Abhaya's parents, the victim of the RG Kar hospital incident.
This does not mean we are ending our protest. In the days ahead, we will continue to raise our demands with even greater determination," said Debashish Halder.
He added that on Saturday, the junior doctors would hold a mass convention to highlight their various demands. The decision to call off the hunger strike and shutdown was made following a general body meeting of the doctors. Halder also expressed surprise that the meeting was broadcast live, as they had not been informed in advance. "Although we asked to live stream the meeting with Chief Minister to ensure transparency, but it was unfortunately rejected. Yet, today's meeting was broadcast live," he added.
"We've been advocating for action on our 10 core demands, but when we addressed the widespread culture of intimidation, the Chief Minister reacted emotionally, inquiring why she hadn't been briefed earlier on this critical issue. There seems to have been an effort to silence us when we raised this concern. However, student elections will be held in medical colleges next March, which we see as a victory for us," Halder said.
Meanwhile, the parents of the deceased doctor visited the site of the hunger strike in Esplanade to meet with the protesting doctors.
Earlier in the day, a 17-member delegation of junior doctors met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat to discuss several key issues, including the ongoing "threat culture" in hospitals, seeking justice for their late colleague, and advocating for systemic reforms in the state’s healthcare infrastructure.
Banerjee urged an end to the doctor’s hunger strike, which had reached its 17th day. While both sides acknowledged the existence of the threat culture, they differed on the root causes and the factors that sustain it.
The Chief Minister made a heartfelt appeal for the junior doctors to end their hunger strike, citing significant advancements in resolving their demands. However, she turned down their request for the removal of the state Health Secretary.
"The administration of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital suspended junior doctors and medical students without following proper investigative and disciplinary procedures. How can these students or resident doctors be suspended solely based on complaints? Who granted the college authorities the authority to take such action without notifying the state government? Isn’t this creating a culture of intimidation?" Mamata Banerjee remarked.
In response, Aniket Mahato, who had been hospitalized after fasting for five days, countered Banerjee, stating that those who were suspended "have been deeply involved in the threat culture and do not deserve to be doctors." He continued, "The medical college campus has been tarnished by these goons masquerading as students. If you look at their answer sheets, you'll find they don't even deserve to pass."
Addressing the demand for the removal of Health Secretary Nigam, Mamata Banerjee said, "You cannot label someone as accused without concrete evidence. You must provide proof first before calling a person accused," to which one of the protesting doctors responded, "A person can be considered accused under the law until proven innocent."
Protesting doctor Kinjal Nanda told Banerjee that they had raised concerns in writing with the state health department multiple times over the past three years about the "toxic" environment at RG Kar Hospital. Nanda further stated, "Female medics were subjected to inappropriate advances by some of their male colleagues, and those who experienced sexual harassment had no proper way to file complaints." Throughout the meeting, both sides occasionally disagreed on various points.
Banerjee cautioned, "Initiating a movement requires foresight and a clear endgame. No one can reasonably expect every single demand to be accepted without flexibility and mutual concession." You are free to raise your concerns, but we also have the right to determine if they are justified." During the discussion, she also brought up her own 26-day hunger strike during the Singur agitation.
"We want all of you to stay healthy, thrive, and succeed in your lives. As someone who has also been part of a mass movement, I am deeply disturbed to see some of your colleagues fasting. I urge you all to end the fast," she said, wrapping up the meeting, which began at 5 pm and concluded at 7:17 pm.
Chief Secretary Manoj Pant pledged to issue written instructions by 3 pm on October 22 for forming a task force and grievance committees, along with a timeline to address the doctor's demands.
The junior doctors launched a 'cease-work' on August 9 in response to the alleged rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Hospital. The hunger strike began on October 5, after nearly 50 days of intermittent 'cease-work.'
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)
