Kolkata doctor rape-murder: West Bengal’s agitating junior doctors today (October 4) called off their total cease work and resumed normal duties, while continuing with their demonstrations demanding justice for their raped and murdered colleague at RG Kar Medical College and hospital and improved security measures in medical facilities.
The agitating junior doctors threatened to launch a hunger strike till death if their demands were not met by the West Bengal government within 24 hours.
"We are calling off our 'total cease work'. But we will continue our sit-in protest. We will give the state administration 24 hours to fulfilll our demands or else we will start a hunger strike till death," an agitating doctor, Debasish Halder of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital said.
Holding clocks in their hands, the doctors reiterated their demands including the directive to form a central enquiry committee for disciplinary proceedings against alleged perpetrators involved in threat culture in all medical colleges of West Bengal, among others.
The medics began a rally in Kolkata on Friday and the announcement for ending the cease work was made after the procession ended. The rally which started from the SSKM Hospital in the southern part of the city's Bhowanipore area culminated near Esplanade in the heart of the city.
Doctors threaten to launch hunger strike if demands not met
As per their demands, Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam should resign and justice should be served. Security should be ensured and 10-point demands should also be fulfilled. If the demands are not met within the next 24 hours, a hunger strike will be held from the Dharna stage at Dharmatalla.
The junior doctors have planned to set a deadline for the state government to implement their demands, after which they will launch an indefinite fast until their promises are fulfilled.
"We held a governing body meeting. We have decided to suspend the total cease work for now, but our demonstrations will continue. We are mindful of the large number of patients relying on state-run hospitals every day," one of the agitating junior doctors told media.
Their senior counterparts had urged them to suspend the 'cease work' in light of the hardships faced by ordinary patients.
"After the rally, we will announce our decision to withdraw the total cease work and the next course of action," the doctor said.
"We plan to give the state government a deadline to fulfil our demands, particularly in light of the attacks doctors face in various hospitals. If our demands are not met, we will launch a fast unto death agitation," he added.
They ended their strike on September 21 after discussions with state officials, resuming essential services. The medics, however, renewed their 'cease work' on October 1 after an attack on them by a patient's family at the state-run College of Medicine & Sagore Dutta Hospital the previous week.
(With inputs from Onkar Sarkar)
