Medics protesting in West Bengal over the rape and murder case of RG Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata announced a hunger strike for October 9 even as the state government urged them to return to work. The doctors have been demanding justice over the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital and measures for safety of medics.
The junior doctors had on October 4 called off their 'total cease work', which had crippled healthcare services at state-run medical colleges and hospitals.
The case pertains to a trainee doctor of the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital of West Bengal's Kolkata whose body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the facility's chest department in the morning of August 9.
In another major development, 50 senior doctors of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday tendered their resignations in a mark of solidarity with the protesting medics.
Kolkata RG Kar Medical College Rape & Murder Case | Latest
Bengal Doctors' Strike: The agitating doctors announced that they will organise a protest march on Tuesday evening along with a symbolic hunger strike at all medical colleges and hospitals across the state, from central Kolkata's College Square to Dharmatala. "Tomorrow, we will also be holding a symbolic hunger strike at all medical colleges and hospitals across the state. Representatives of various doctors' associations will take part in it. This will start at 9 am and continue till 9 pm. We will also hold a rally in Kolkata," news agency PTI quoted a member of the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum.
FAIMA Announces Nationwide Hunger Strike: In a move to support the ongoing protest of medics in Bengal, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) on Monday announced a nationwide hunger strike. The doctors' association held a meeting on Monday and announced that the hunger strike will begin on Wednesday, which will be two months from the day the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College.
50 senior Doctors Of RG Kar Resign: Around 50 senior doctors of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday tendered their resignations in a mark of solidarity with medics who have been on fast-unto-death demanding justice for the deceased woman doctor, sources in the health facility cited by news agency PTI said. “This has been decided at today’s meeting of the HoDs. All 50 senior doctors of our hospital have signed their resignation letters. This is to express our solidarity towards those young doctors who are fighting for a cause,” a senior doctor told PTI.
Medics' Demands: Apart from justice for the victim, other demands of the medics 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.
Bengal Govt's Appeal To Medics: Urging the junior doctors to return to work, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said that 90 per cent of the ongoing projects undertaken at medical colleges in the state would be completed by next month. "I am requesting everyone to come back to work and give services to the people. Some of them already have. We are all working towards improving the environment. They [junior medics] will appreciate that very good progress has been made on the promises made by the government," he said at the state secretariat.
