Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today clarified that she cannot allow live streaming of the discussions with the junior doctors as the RG Kar rape-murder case is sub-judice.
Mamata Banerjee says live streaming of meeting can't be allowed:
Stressing on the problems faced by the hospitals in view of the doctors protest, Banerjee informed that 27 patients have died till now and 1,500 emergency cases are held up while several patients are affected.
"We had told that the entire meeting would be recorded for transparency but for the sanctity of the case we do not want to live stream it. Supreme Court can live telecast, but we can't. When a case is sub-judice there can't be any media trial. As per SC directive we cannot allow live streaming. We wanted to record the meeting so that if required we could hand over the recording to court or to the junior doctors if they demanded," she said at Nabanna sabhaghar today.
"We have been waiting for two hours inside hall. We had given them a letter and they had responded to it. We had asked them to come and discuss in open mind. Many new ideas may have come up as solutions are reached only through discussions. But they did not even enter the hall. They could have told the media why they did not enter the hall. We have been waiting here leaving aside all work," she said.
In an earlier occasion, we had held live streaming but at that time the case was not with the CBI or the Supreme Court. It was a separate case, she added. In 2019, a meeting between the CM and the then protesting doctors had been live streamed.
Banerjee also said that the government had been waiting for two days for the junior doctors to resume work. Our responsibility is to forgive them and we have done so, she added.
The Supreme Court has given a deadline and this has expired. Now, we called them and waited for two hours but they didn't come, she said.
Junior docs reach Nabanna but demand live-stream of meeting:
Earlier, a team of 30 junior doctors reached Nabanna state secretariat to take part in the talks to resolve the RG Kar impasse in the presence of the Chief Minister. However, they refused to enter the Nabanna Sabhaghar, where the meeting was scheduled, as they stuck to their demand of live streaming of the meeting that the administration refused.
The doctors reached the venue at around 5:25 pm and stood outside the auditorium even after an hour had passed. State chief secretary Manoj Pant and DGP Rajeev Kumar tried to convince the doctors but refused to budge from their stand even as the CM kept waiting for them inside.
Pant told media persons that the government had made some plans for security upgradation in the hospitals. "The CM has been waiting for one and a half hours but the doctors are refusing to participate without live streaming," Pant said.
Junior doctors leave for Nabanna:
Earlier, the doctors had decided to participate at the meeting with 30 members instead of the government-stipulated 15 members, a demand which was accepted by the government. Also, they reiterated their demand for a live stream of the talks.
They said that they would attend the meeting with an open mind and wanted the discussions to revolve around providing justice to their colleague and ensuring their security in the hospitals.
CBI questioned TMC's Sudipto Roy:
Earlier, in the day, CBI had questioned TMC MLA Sudipto Roy in connection with the RG Kar rape and murder case. A CBI team reached Roy's residence in Sinthee area this morning. Roy, also a doctor, is president of the RG Kar Patient's Welfare Committee. A civic volunteer, Sanjib Roy, has been arrested in the case and the investigations are being undertaken by the CBI under the instructions of Calcutta High Court.
Junior doctors continuing protest:
The junior doctors have been continuing their sit-in outside over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital outside Swathya Bhavan', the state health department headquarters, for over 40 hours. The government had on Wednesday rejected their demands for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's presence and a live broadcast as preconditions for talks to resolve the impasse.
A large number of police personnel have been deployed in and around Swathya Bhavan' at Salt Lake, and traffic movement was regulated. "We will continue our agitation and cease work'. But, we did not want to continue this. The state government is not open to holding any meetings with us. And, we want to make it clear that there is no politics behind our stir," one of the protesting doctors told PTI.
Healthcare services affected:
Meanwhile, healthcare services at state-run hospitals remained crippled on Thursday, as the cease work' by the junior doctors entered the 34th day. Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya had on Wednesday said the government remains open to discussions, but suggested that "political forces" might be influencing the protests.
This led to a quick rebuttal from the medics, who dismissed the claims as baseless, and asserted that the protests would continue till their demands were met. The state government had invited the agitating doctors to a meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna at 6 pm on Wednesday, but the invitation did not confirm whether Banerjee would attend it.
State chief secretary sends letter inviting protesting doctors for a meeting:
Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, in an email, had urged the doctors to send a delegation of 12 to 15 members and stressed the importance of resuming work, citing a Supreme Court order directing them to return to duty by 5 pm on Tuesday. Despite the invitation, the junior doctors insisted on several preconditions before agreeing to the meeting.
"We want the discussion to be held in the presence of the CM and be telecast live. We want at least 30 representatives, as this movement is spread across various medical colleges and hospitals," a member of the junior doctors' forum said at a press conference on Wednesday. The protests began after the body of the postgraduate trainee was found with severe injury marks at RG Kar Hospital on August 9. The CBI is conducting a probe upon directions of the Calcutta High Court.
The junior doctors have since been demanding justice for the woman doctor, along with enhanced security measures for women health professionals, besides the suspension of several officials, including the Kolkata Police Commissioner and the state health secretary, for alleged mishandling of the case.
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