Junior doctors in West Bengal call off week-long strike as Mamata agrees to fulfil their 12 demands
Junior doctors across the state were on a strike in protest against an assault on two of their colleagues at the NRS, allegedly by the family members of a patient who died on Monday night.
After the agitating doctors in West Bengal softened their stand, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee learned to have agreed to a meeting on Monday at an auditorium adjacent to the state secretariat. Earlier on Sunday, the striking doctors had left it on Banerjee to decide the meeting venue but insisted it should be held in the presence of media and recorded.
Here are the LIVE updates
04:52 pm: CM directs the formation of grievance redressal units in all West Bengal hospitals as proposed by junior doctors at the meeting.
04:50 pm: West Bengal Mamata Banerjee directs Kolkata Police commissioner Anuj Sharma to deploy a nodal police officer in every hospital, during the meeting with representatives of doctors.
04:35 pm: Doctors to call off strikes with effect from tomorrow as Mamata Banerjee agrees to fulfil their demands in coming seven days.
04:30 pm: No doctor has been booked by state government: Banerjee at meeting with protesting junior doctors.
04:25 pm: Only two regional news channels allowed to cover meeting between Banerjee and junior doctors at state secretariat.
04:15 pm: Apart from West Bengal health secretary, MoS Chandrima Bhattacharya and state officials, 31 junior doctors are at meeting with Banerjee.
04:00 pm: Junior doctors apprise Banerjee of the problems they have been facing at medical colleges and hospitals.
03:40 pm: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee arrives for meeting with representatives of doctors at Nabanna.
03:30 pm: "Mamata has lost her credibility and nobody is trusting her anymore. Therefore doctors also do not want to meet her in a closed room," said Babul Supriyo.
03:20 pm: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has agreed for media coverage of her meeting with two representatives from each Medical College of the state in Nabanna.
01:24 pm: Doctors' strike in Himachal Pradesh - Doctors in Himachal wear black bands in solidarity with protesting colleagues in West Bengal
12:26 pm: Doctors' strike in Madhya Pradesh
11:42 am: Mamata Banerjee to meet two representatives from each Medical College of the state in Nabana later today
11:31 am: Medical Bulletin of injured doctor Paribaha Mukhopadhyay
11:25 am: Doctors' strike in Varanasi
11:16 am: Doctors' strike in Assam - Doctors at Guwahati Medical College hold protest against violence against doctors in West Bengal
11:09 am: According to some media reports, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Nagaland State Branch has requested all medical graduates to join the 24-hour withdrawal of non-essential services across Nagaland on Monday, June 17 from 6 am to 6 am in solidarity with the medical fraternity all over India.
10:55 am: Supreme Court to hear tomorrow the petition seeking safety and security to government doctors across the country
10:33 am: Doctors' strike in Karnataka - About 40,000 doctors, paramedics and nurses have begun a day-long strike in state-run and private hospitals, in support of their West Bengal colleagues.
10:12 am: Doctors' strike at AIIMS Delhi
09:41 am: Delhi: Doctors at AIIMS to go on strike from 12 noon today till 6 am tomorrow, in support of violence against doctors in West Bengal. Emergency services including Casualty, ICU and Labour room shall be continued.
09:36 am: Doctors' strike in Rajasthan - Doctors at Jaipuria Hospital in Jaipur go on strike; Indian Medical Association (IMA) calls for a nationwide strike of doctors in the wake of violence against doctors in West Bengal.
09:29 am: Doctors' strike in Goa - Medical professionals in Goa have decided to join the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) call for a nationwide closure of non-essential medical services on Monday. Emergency and trauma services will remain functional but the out-patient-department (OPD) services and elective surgeries have been postponed.
09:01 am: Doctors' strike in Lucknow - The resident doctors of King George's Medical University (KGMU) and Queen Mary's hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) proceeded on strike at 6.a.m and will stay off work till Tuesday 6 a.m.
08:34 am: Doctors' strike in Gujarat - Indian Medical Association calls for a nationwide strike of doctors. Doctors at Sir Sayajirao General Hospital in Vadodara hold protest outside Out Patient Department.
On Saturday, Banerjee had invited the agitators for closed-door talks, but the offer was turned down by them.
Talking to reporters after a two-and-half-hour-long meeting on Sunday of its governing body, a spokesperson of the joint forum of junior doctors said, "We are keen to end this impasse. We are ready to hold talks with the chief minister at a venue of her choice, provided it is held in the open, in the presence of media persons, and not behind closed doors."
The spokesperson said the venue should be spacious enough to accommodate representatives from all medical colleges and hospitals in the state.
Earlier, the agitators had insisted that Banerjee visit the NRS Medical College and Hospital, the epicentre of the agitation.
"We want to join our duties as early as possible in the best interests of the common people once all our demands are met with adequately and logically through a discussion.
"We are hopeful that the chief minister will be considerate enough to solve the problems," the spokesperson said, adding that the strike would continue till a solution was worked out.
Junior doctors across the state are observing a strike in protest against an assault on two of their colleagues at the NRS, allegedly by the family members of a patient who died on Monday night.
Services continued to remain affected for the sixth day on Sunday in emergency wards, outdoor facilities and pathological units of many state-run hospitals and private medical facilities in the state, leaving several patients in the lurch.
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Sunday said it will go ahead with the strike on June 17, withdrawing non-essential health services across the country in the wake of the assault on doctors in West Bengal.
The IMA said all outpatient departments (OPDs), routine operation theatre services and ward visits will be withdrawn for 24 hours from 6 am on Monday to 6 am Tuesday.
Emergency and casualty services will continue to function, it said.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had on Saturday asked states to consider enacting specific legislation for protecting doctors and medical professionals from any form of violence.
The IMA has demanded a comprehensive central law in dealing with violence on doctors and healthcare staff.
Also Read | Win for junior doctors as Mamata blinks first and accepts all demands
Video: Doctors to meet Mamata Banerjee today, strike may end