The hunger strike by junior doctors in West Bengal reached its 10th day on Monday, with a
growing health crisis among protesters. Another medic, Pulastha Acharya from NRS Medical
College and Hospital, was hospitalised after his condition deteriorated on Sunday night, officials
reported. This marks the third doctor admitted to the ICU since the fast-unto-death began on
October 5.
The strike, initiated by junior doctors demanding justice for the rape and murder of a postgraduate
trainee at RG Kar Medical College, has garnered widespread attention and public support. Their
demands include workplace safety, the removal of Health Secretary N.S. Nigam, and systemic
reforms in state-run hospitals.
The doctors are calling for the implementation of a centralised referral system for efficient patient
transfer, a real-time bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure
proper installation of CCTV cameras, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
“One cannot expect a meeting to produce all solutions, but we have made some progress by holding
the talks,’ Pant said after the meeting.
“The Kolkata police gave us a letter today, saying we should end the hunger strike. We cannot be
dissuaded. If the government feels that we will end our agitation before our demands are met then
it has made a big mistake,” Debasish Haldar, one of the leaders of the agitation said on Thursday
afternoon.
Despite the deteriorating health of the protesting doctors, West Bengal’s Chief Secretary Manoj
Pant wrote to the Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) on Sunday, urging them to call off their planned
demonstration on October 15, which coincides with the state’s annual Durga Puja Carnival. In his
letter, Pant emphasised the importance of the carnival and invited the doctors for discussions at the
Swasthya Bhawan health department headquarters to address their grievances.
However, the JPD expressed disappointment over the government’s decision to prioritise
celebrations over addressing the critical issues raised by the medical fraternity. In a statement, the
JPD said, “Junior doctors have been on hunger strike for 10 days, with three of them now in the
ICU, yet the Government prioritises celebrations over addressing these grave concerns.”
While the JPD respects the constitutional right to celebrate the Durga Pujo Carnival, they remain
firm in their stance for a peaceful, democratic protest on October 15, which they have dubbed the
‘Droher Carnival’ in solidarity with the agitating junior doctors.
The hunger strike follows nearly 50 days of cease work by doctors, protesting the August 9 murder
of an on-duty postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College. Despite multiple pleas and
hospitalizations, the strike shows no signs of ending without meaningful government action on
their demands.
IMA Urges Bengal Government to Act as Junior Doctors’ Strike Grows
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged West Bengal Chief Minister to address the
growing concerns of junior doctors on hunger strike, who are demanding better working
conditions and justice for the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee (PGT) doctor at RG Kar
Medical College. With junior doctor Aniket Mahato now hospitalised in critical condition, the
West Bengal Junior Doctor’s Front organised a major rally during Durga Puja to intensify their
demands for systemic reforms and improved workplace safety.
Reported by Ankitaa Bal
For
TRUE TO LIFE News Media