Ending the 42-day logjam, agitating junior doctors on Friday called off their “cease work” protest in the wake of the rape and murder of a young doctor at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata and announced a partial resumption of work from Saturday, September 21. The protesting doctors have also warned the West Bengal government that they will protest again if justice is not served.
Addressing a press conference outside the office of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the Kolkata doctor's rape case, the protesting medics said, “We are stopping our sit-in protest due to flood situation. We will serve in flood-affected areas from tomorrow but our protest will not stop.”
“We will continue this in all medical colleges & hospitals. We will see till the next Supreme Court hearing. However, if the assurances and promises are not fulfilled, we will again start our agitation programme,” a junior doctor said. The procession, seeking a speedy wrap-up of the probe by the CBI into the case, covered a distance of around 4 km from the ‘Swasthya Bhawan’ to the CGO Complex.
The doctors would not work in the Outpatient Department (OPD), but partially function in emergency and essential services.
The decision to withdraw the “cease work” protest came after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with a delegation of the protesting doctors to end impasse. Following the meeting, Mamata Banerjee sacked Vineet Goyal as Kolkata Police Commissioner (CP) and transferred some at the police and health departments.
Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, following up on issues discussed in Wednesday's meeting between the agitating junior doctors and the state task force, issued a list of directives on the safety, security and conducive environment for healthcare professionals, saying those orders need to be implemented immediately.
On Thursday, September 19, the West Bengal Medical Council cancelled the registration of RG Kar Medical College's former principal Sandip Ghosh who was arrested in connection with the Kolkata rape and murder case. He was taken into custody by the CBI for alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar hospital.
