As junior doctors in West Bengal’s state-run hospitals continued their 16-day strike on Saturday in protest of the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, healthcare services were affected. Patients at government hospitals’ emergency rooms are being attended by senior physicians.
“Our protest will continue till justice is served to our sister. There cannot be any alternative to that,” an agitating doctor at the KMCH said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated that no coercive action would be taken against the doctors who are protesting the rape and murder of the medic and appealed them to return to work. The court stated that since judges and doctors handle cases concerning people’s life and liberty, they are not entitled to strike.
In addition to calling for justice for the female medic, the younger doctors have been pushing for the dismissal of other administrators from the KMCH. In response to their demands, the West Bengal government revoked the order to replace Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the hospital, as principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital and dismissed three senior officials from the Kar Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday night.
The body of a female postgraduate trainee doctor was found by the police at the KMCH seminar hall on August 9. The following day, a community volunteer was arrested for his suspected role in the crime.
(with inputs from PTI)