TMC MP Calls Agitating Medics 'Unfit to Become Doctors'

Criticising the agitating doctors in West Bengal, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee has labelled them as 'inhumane' and unsuitable for the medical profession. His comments followed their refusal to hold talks with the government unless the meeting was live-streamed. Banerjee urged that the doctors be barred from their final exams and questioned their role in patient deaths attributed to the strike.

Kolkata: Senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee on Thursday criticised the agitating medics of West Bengal calling them inhumane and unfit to become doctors and urged the state government to ensure that they are not allowed to appear for their final exams.

The Trinamool Congress leader's outburst came after agitating junior doctors, even after reaching the gates of the state secretariat Nabanna, refused to hold talks with the state government unless their demand for live streaming of the meeting to resolve the RG Kar hospital impasse was met.

The meeting did not take place as the Mamata Banerjee government did not allow live-streaming but said the proceedings could be video-recorded, an option rejected by the medics.

Those doctors, who have been agitating for the last month, putting the lives of lakhs of patients at stake, do not deserve to be doctors. They are unfit to become doctors. I failed to understand how these medics behave so inhumanly. I would urge the state government to ensure that these junior doctors who have been protesting are not allowed to appear for their final exams, Kalyan Banerjee told reporters here.

The medics have been on 'cease work' since August 9, when the body of an on-duty post-graduate trainee was found in the seminar room of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hosptial. She was raped and murdered. Holding the agitating doctors responsible for the death of 27 patients in state-run hospitals across the state, the MP wondered whether the protesting doctors take responsibility for those deaths.

The doctors have said those patients have been provided with proper treatment and medication. Then there should be a proper investigation and these junior doctors should be taken into custody for proper interrogation to bring out the truth, Kalyan Banerjee said.

The Sreerampore on Thursday participated in a rally in his constituency to protest against the death of the patients, including one from his area, because of alleged lack of treatment at government hospitals following the cease work by the junior doctors.

"I took part in a mass rally organized by " Bongo Jagoron Mancha" in protest against the reactionary forces that have plunged Bengal into chaos. The rally called for a swift trial for the doctors who were wronged at RG Kar Hospital and demanded accountability for those responsible for the death of Vikram from Konnagar, who passed away due to inadequate treatment," he posted on X.

A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police a day after the woman doctor's body was found. The CBI is now conducting a probe into the case on a Calcutta High Court order.

The agitating junior doctors have been demanding justice for the deceased medic, along with enhanced security measures for women health professionals and the suspension of several officials, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner and the state health secretary, for alleged mishandling of the case.