'Didi' is here to meet you, not CM, Mamata tells protesting doctors

"I have come to meet you as your 'didi' (elder sister), not as West Bengal chief minister. I have spent sleepless nights as you have been protesting on the road amid rains."

In a surprising turn of events, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee reached the health department headquarters Swasthya Bhavan with director-general of police Rajeev Kumar to meet protesting junior doctors of the state-run R.G. Kar Hospital, a day after the two sides failed to meet and reach a consensus to end the deadlock.

The doctors have been on strike since 9 August, the day a 31-year-old junior doctor's body was found in the hospital's seminar hall, bearing multiple injuries and apparent signs of sexual assault. Four days later, the investigation of the incident was handed over to the CBI by Kolkata Police following a Calcutta High Court directive.

On 12 September, a scheduled meeting between 30 of the protesting doctors and the CM was called off over the government's refusal to livestream the proceedings as per the doctors' demands. Among their other key demands were an overhaul of the state's health infrastructure and the removal of senior officials including health secretary N.S. Nigam and Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal.

As soon as the CM reached the protest site in front of Swasthya Bhavan today, the protesters greeted her with chants of "We Want Justice".

In her reply, Banerjee said, "Please listen to me for five minutes. I am here because I respect your movement. Even I participated in several student movements. I couldn’t sleep last night as you all have been protesting here amid rains. I request you to let me speak."

"This is my last attempt to resolve the crisis," Banerjee also said later.

The TMC (Trinamool Congress) chief urged the doctors to return to work and said, "Many patients have died because they did not get proper treatment. Your parents are also worried."

She also assured them that the state government would look into their demands and take strict action if anyone was found guilty. "I want justice for Tilottoma. I am requesting CBI to hang the culprits in three months," said the chief minister. "I assure you that I will study your demands and take action if someone is found guilty," she added, urging the protesting doctors to return to work.

'Tilottama' and 'Abhaya' are two of the pseudonyms being used for the victim following court orders to stop using her real name in the public domain.

Banerjee also announced that patient welfare committees — seen by many as hubs of corruption courtesy a hospital admissions racket — of all state-run hospitals were being dissolved with immediate effect, and the formation of new committees with more diverse representation.

However, though the junior doctors see the CM's visit as a positive move, they are still not ready to compromise on their demands. "We want a transparent meeting with the chief minister in front of the media. We welcome her visit and we are ready to hold talks with her over our five demands," a protesting doctor said.

Among those demands are also justice for the victim; action against all officials responsible for alleged tampering of evidence; action against former R.G. Kar Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh; and the creation of a safer workplace for doctors.

After the chief minister left the site, the agitating doctors said they were not ready to compromise on their demands until discussions were held.