The hunger strike by junior doctors in West Bengal seeking justice after the RG Kar Hospital incident entered its 11th day on Tuesday. Despite a meeting between the doctors and the state government, the issues remain unresolved as two more doctors, at the protest site, fell ill.
An indefinite strike was initiated by the Junior doctors on October 5 after conducting 50 days of ‘cease work’ actions in two phases.
Ongoing protest amid health crisis
The hunger strike triggered by the tragic rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 has charged up the ongoing protests across the state. As of Tuesday, seven doctors are undertaking fast-unto-death, with some of them requiring immediate medical treatment.
Tanaya Panja from Kolkata Medical College fell unconscious and was taken to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) for treatment while Pulastha Acharya from NRS Medical College was also sent to CCU on Sunday night because of severe pain in the abdomen, PTI reported.
Demands of junior doctors
A key meeting was held between 12 doctors’ associations and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on Monday which ended in a deadlock. So far, the government has addressed 7 demands out of 10 but the remaining three will need further administrative consideration.
The doctors’ demands include justice for RG Kar’s victim, improved security of the hospital, better infrastructure, the resignation of Health Secretary NS Nigam, and a centralized referral system. The state government has appealed to the Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) to cancel their planned ‘Droher Carnival‘ demonstration which is slated for October 15 and will occur simultaneously with the state’s Durga Puja Carnival.
The protests erupted on August 9 after a doctor was found raped and killed in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
(With inputs from PTI)
