Kolkata police halted junior doctors‘ ‘Abhaya Parikrama‘ rally at major pandals during the Durga Puja, the biggest festival in the state where people have already started hitting the streets for pandal hopping.
The junior doctors have planned a “Abhaya Parikrama” rally in which the protesters would be visiting some of the major Durga Puja pandals in the city to reach out to the citizens and to talk about their movements and demands.
The protesting doctors plan to distribute leaflets detailing their demands for justice at various Durga Puja pandals in the city.
The protests were sparked by the rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, which led to a 42-day strike that ended on September 21 after the state government provided assurances to address their demands.
Meanwhile, seven doctors are on an indefinite strike, which started on Saturday, entered the fourth day on Wednesday.
The junior doctors had previously suspended their ‘total cease work’ on Friday, which had caused significant disruptions to healthcare services at state-run medical colleges and hospitals.
The junior doctors’ primary focus is on securing justice for the deceased medic, but they have also put forth additional demands, including the immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam, accountability for alleged administrative failures, and action against corruption within the department.
They are also advocating for a centralized referral system for hospitals and medical colleges in the state, a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions such as CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at workplaces.