In a late-night decision following a marathon meeting with agitating junior doctors, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the removal of two top health officials and Kolkata Police Commissioner IPS Vineet Kumar Goyal. The move came after junior doctors from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital met with Banerjee at her Kalighat residence on Tuesday to present their five-point demands in the wake of protests against the rape and murder of a second-year postgraduate trainee doctor on August 9.
Accompanied by two stenographers, the doctors engaged in nearly five hours of discussions with the chief minister. Banerjee confirmed that 42 junior doctors and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant signed the minutes of the meeting. “The Kolkata Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner North, and two senior health officials including DME Debasis Haldar and DHS Kaustav Nayek have been removed,” Banerjee stated following the discussions.
Earlier in the day, the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front and Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) held a press conference in Delhi, calling for the removal of these officials, citing their alleged mishandling of the case and corruption within the healthcare system.
The junior doctors’ key demands included justice for the victim, referred to as “Abhaya,” and a faster investigation process. They also called for the removal of the Director of Medical Education (DME), the Director of Health Services (DHS), and the Health Secretary, accusing them of corruption and improper actions related to the crime scene. The doctors linked these officials to unauthorised construction work near the crime site and referenced the arrest of Sandip Ghosh, who has been implicated in the case.
The group further demanded action against “incompetent and complacent” police officials, specifically citing the Kolkata Police Commissioner for administrative failures and evidence tampering. They also urged disciplinary measures against the Deputy Commissioners for North and Central Kolkata, alleging their involvement in concealing key information and offering bribes to the victim’s family.
Additionally, the junior doctors pushed for legal recognition of Resident Doctors’ Associations (RDA) in all medical colleges and called for elections to dissolve non-elected student units. Despite partial agreements, the doctors indicated that some demands had not been fully addressed.
(With agency inputs)