NEW DELHI: Junior doctors in West Bengal have announced plans to resume a complete ‘cease work‘ in hospitals across the state following a scheduled Supreme Court hearing related to the case of the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
This comes after junior doctors and nurses at Sagar Dutta Hospital in North 24 Parganas initiated a ‘cease work’ agitation on Saturday, following an assault on hospital staff by the family members of a deceased patient.The incident, which occurred on Friday, left three junior doctors and three nurses injured.
“Following the attack on us by the patient party, we lost all hope in the WB government’s assurance of our safety and security,” a junior doctor said of the attack.
The decision to resume agitation comes just days after the doctors had briefly returned to their posts in emergency wards after a 42-day protest.
The junior doctors had on Friday declared their intention to hold a major rally in Kolkata on October 2, demanding justice for their colleague, whose tragic death on August 9 has sparked outrage and widespread demonstrations.
Debasish Halder, a representative for the junior doctors, urged the public to participate in protest rallies statewide on September 29, the day before the Supreme Court hearing.
Junior doctors have since insisted on accountability and reform in response to the tragic events that unfolded at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The unrest began after the body of the trainee doctor was discovered at the medical facility, leading to the arrest of a Kolkata Police civic volunteer. The Calcutta high court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe both the murder and potential financial irregularities within the institution
In response to the growing discontent, chief minister Mamata Banerjee met with the protesting junior doctors and indicated that many of their demands had been addressed, including the removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal and certain officials from the health department.