On the 33rd day of their strike, junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of a trainee medic at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital finally agreed to engage in talks with the West Bengal government on Wednesday (September 11). However, they outlined several terms and conditions in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the discussions to proceed.
The doctors have demanded that they want to send a team of at least 30 representatives and have also offered to broadcast the meeting live. Additionally, they want the meeting to be held in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The West Bengal government has scheduled a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the doctors who have been protesting over the recent rape and murder case at RG Kar Medical College. The meeting is set to take place today at 6 pm, as announced by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, who suggested that a delegation of 12–15 doctors attend.
The doctors, who have been demonstrating outside Swasthya Bhawan, the state health secretariat, had previously expressed their willingness to meet with the Chief Minister. Their protest follows the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor on August 9.
Their demands include accountability for those responsible for the crime, action against individuals involved in an alleged cover-up, and the resignation of high-ranking officials, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner and the Health Secretary.
In their correspondence, the doctors expressed their willingness to meet at any time and location of the Chief Minister's choosing, with the condition that the entire discussion be streamed live.
“We have reached out to the Chief Minister requesting a meeting, which could be arranged either today or tomorrow, wherever she prefers. However, the meeting must be broadcast live,” a representative of the junior doctors told PTI.
The protesting doctors have been demonstrating outside the state health department office, calling for the removal of several high-ranking officials, including Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, the state health secretary, the Director of Health Education (DHE), and the Director of Health Services (DHS).
Earlier, the West Bengal government had invited the protesting doctors to a meeting at the state secretariat, Nabanna, in an effort to resolve the ongoing impasse. However, the doctors have rejected this proposal, citing that the invitation came from the state health secretary—a figure whose resignation they are demanding. They criticized the invitation as "insulting" and objected to the restriction that limited the number of attendees to just 10.
Despite a Supreme Court directive requiring them to resume duties by 5 pm on September 10, the doctors have remained on strike. The court had instructed the doctors to return to work and mandated that no punitive actions be taken against them by the state government.
The protesting doctors have vowed not to resume their duties until their demands are addressed. They have set up temporary shelters, arranged for fans, food, and water, and indicated their intention to continue the protest until their demands are met.
In addition to calling for the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and top health officials, the doctors are also demanding improved safety conditions for healthcare staff in the state’s hospitals.
(Inputs from PTI)
