Kolkata: The junior doctors, agitating over the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital, continued their fast unto death for the fifth day on Thursday amid the Durga Puja festivities across West Bengal.
At 2.30 pm, the fast by the nine junior doctors of various medical colleges entered its 113th hour. The junior doctors began the fast unto death on Saturday evening at the Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala in the heart of Kolkata after ending the total cease work that had crippled healthcare services.
The state government convened a meeting on Wednesday evening with the protestors but failed to break the deadlock. Following the meeting, which was chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, the protesting doctors alleged that they received nothing concrete from the state government except "verbal assurances".
The doctors also criticised the police for apprehending their colleagues and some other young men and women who were demonstrating and distributing leaflets outside some Durga Puja pandals in the city. They said they would provide full legal support to those who were arrested for the demonstration.
In the afternoon, when those arrested were produced before a court in Alipore, some doctors demonstrated by raising slogans against the police. They alleged that false cases were filed by the police to break the peaceful demonstration.
Even as Durga Puja pandals were bustling across the city on the auspicious occasion of Saptami, a significant number of people gathered at the Dorina Crossing protest site in a show of solidarity with the doctors.
Speaking to reporters, the father of a doctor who was sitting on the fast said, "Despite our concern for their health, we are supporting them for a larger cause. It's just a matter of 10 minutes if the state government agrees to their demands." Some senior doctors also joined their protesting juniors during the day.
The protesting doctors emphasised that securing justice for the deceased woman medic remains their foremost priority. They also called for the immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam, alleging administrative incompetence and inaction against corruption in the department.
Other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
They are also demanding increased police protection in hospitals, recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. The junior doctors went on to cease work following the rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government to look into their demands.
