Junior Doctors Protest: Medics Call Off 'Total Cease Work', Warn Of Hunger Strike If Demands Not Met

Agitating junior doctors demanding justice for the RG Kar medic show a watch while announcing to launch a hunger strike till death if their demands were not met by the West Bengal government within 24 hours, in Kolkata. (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: Agitating junior doctors demanding justice for the RG Kar medic on Friday evening called off their 'total cease work' at state-run medical colleges and hospitals but threatened to launch a hunger strike till death if their demands were not met by the West Bengal government within 24 hours.

"We are calling off our 'total cease work' and returning to duties. But we will continue our sit-in protest. We will give the state administration 24 hours to fulfill our demands or else we will start a hunger strike till death," an agitating doctor, Debasish Halder of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, said.

Braving the incessant drizzle, junior doctors holding one big clock in their hands reiterated their demands including the directive to form a central inquiry committee for disciplinary proceedings against alleged perpetrators involved in "threat culture" in all medical colleges of West Bengal, among others.

"But the state government must not think that we are calling off our agitation as we are scared. If they think there is nobody with us, they are wrong. We have full support of the common people," he said.

"... We are planning for a bigger demonstration as we will continue sitting at Dorina Crossing. We will work and simultaneously continue our stir. We are carrying this clock to keep a track of every minute and every hour and in case our demands are not fulfilled, we will sit for a hunger strike until death," Halder said.

"Today, we called off our 'cease work' around 8.30 pm. So, we will wait till 8.30 pm tomorrow to see whether the state government takes any step or not," another agitating doctor Aniket Mahato said.
Minutes before making this announcement, the junior doctors on Friday evening began a sit-in at a crucial junction in central Kolkata's Esplanade area alleging police lathi-charged a few of them during a rally to press for justice for the deceased woman doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Their demonstration disrupted traffic movement in the heart of the city, police said. "Two of our colleagues waiting near a road (in Esplanade) for us were beaten up by the police. We do not know the reason. We were conducting a peaceful rally here and had permission to hold a press conference here. We protest this attitude of the policemen. Police have to apologise, else we will continue with our demonstration," one of the junior doctors said.

The junior medics held a rally from the SSKM Hospital in the city's Bhowanipore area to Esplanade. The medics said that justice for the deceased woman medic continued to be on top of their demands while among the other nine demands, they called for the immediate removal of state Health Secretary N S Nigam and the health department to take responsibility for administrative incompetence and corruption.

They also demanded the setting up of a centralised referral system at all hospitals and medical colleges in the state besides a digital bed vacancy monitoring system, constituting task forces to ensure necessary arrangements for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms.

They stressed increasing police protection in hospitals, recruiting permanent female police personnel and immediately filling up all vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers in hospitals.

"Elections for student councils must be conducted immediately in every medical college. All colleges must recognise Resident Doctors' Association (RDA). And the elected representation of students and junior doctors must be ensured in all committees managing colleges and hospitals," Halder said.
The rampant corruption and lawlessness in West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) and West Bengal Health Recruitment Board (WBHRB) must be brought under inquiry immediately, the junior doctors demanded.

The junior medics held a governing body meeting of the Junior Doctors' Forum throughout Thursday night following the request from their senior counterparts to call off their 'total cease work' and resume normal duties.

The junior doctors renewed their 'cease work' on October 1 after an attack on medics by a patient's family at the state-run College of Medicine & Sagore Dutta Hospital the previous week.

Previously, junior doctors had gone on a complete 'cease work' for 42 days following the rape and murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. They ended their strike on September 21 after discussions with state officials, resuming essential services.