Healthcare services affected in Bengal as junior doctors continue ceasework

Healthcare services were severely hit at state-run hospitals in West Bengal on Friday, 23 August, as junior doctors continued their ceasework for the 15th consecutive day to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) in Kolkata.

They decided to continue the stir despite the Supreme Court's appeal to them to resume work.

"Our protest will continue till we see the culprits punished. We are not here for anything else. We cannot call off the demonstration suddenly unless our demand is fulfilled," an agitating doctor at the RGKMCH told PTI.

The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated its appeal to the doctors protesting over the rape and killing of the medic to resume work and directed that no coercive action would be taken against them.

The court said judges and doctors cannot strike since they deal with matters involving life and liberty.

The flow of patients at the different government hospitals seemed to dry up as the ceasework by junior doctors continued.

"For the last couple of days, the number of patients has decreased even though our senior doctors are attending outpatient departments (OPDs) and emergency units. This is because people are aware of the agitation of junior medics," a senior doctor of the SSKM Hospital said.

Notably, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a probe into the alleged rape and murder of the woman doctor in the state-run hospital.

Apart from demanding justice for the woman medic, the junior doctors have been pressing for the removal of several officials in the RGKMCH's administration.

The state government had transferred three officials of the RGKMCH and cancelled the posting of the hospital's former principal Sandip Ghosh to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CNMC).

State health secretary N.S. Nigam, while announcing the decision, urged the doctors to resume work as it was affecting the healthcare services badly.

On 9 August, the police recovered the body of the woman postgraduate trainee doctor from the seminar hall of the RGKMCH.

A civic volunteer was arrested the next day for his alleged involvement in the crime.