R.G. Kar: Bengal docs to decide on ‘cease work’ resumption after SC hearing

Junior doctors of West Bengal on Saturday night, 28 September, said that they would decide on resuming total 'cease work' in medical colleges after observing the state government's submission on their safety and security at workplaces during the hearing of the R.G. Kar case in the Supreme Court on 30 September.

Their decision was taken after three doctors and three nurses were assaulted following the death of a patient at the College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital near Kolkata on Friday night.

The medics alleged that the attacks at the state-run hospital have shown that the state government has "totally failed" to deliver promises to provide them security.

"The state government has totally failed in providing us safety and security and that is the reason the attack took place in Sagore Dutta Hospital. We are giving the state some time and want to hear their submission regarding our security during the Supreme Court hearing on Monday and then from 5 pm, we will start total 'cease work' at all hospitals across Bengal," one of the junior doctors said.

"It seems that our meetings with the chief minister and the chief secretary were not taken seriously. How can patients' family members threaten one of our female colleagues to repeat what has happened at the R.G. Kar hospital. We do not feel secure in the hospitals, we lost all hope in the state government," he said.

The decisions were announced following a junior doctors' general body meeting held after the assaults on medics at the Sagore Dutta Hospital.

Soon after Friday's incident, junior doctors at the Sagore Dutta Hospital started "total cease work" there.

On Sunday, junior doctors would organise a rally across the state, protesting the Sagore Dutta Hospital incident.

"Where gone the assurances on our safety and security. We will go for a bigger demonstration," Aniket Mahato, a doctor who was also present there, said.

Depending on the submission on the part of the Bengal government in the Supreme Court hearing on Monday, junior doctors might contemplate whether to go for "total cease work or not", Mahato said.

Junior doctors on 21 September rejoined their duties partially at various government-run hospitals in West Bengal after a hiatus of 42 days.

They were on 'cease work' in protest against the rape-murder of an on-duty woman doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Junior doctors had on Thursday written an email to Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, reiterating their demands which were "yet to be fulfilled" by the state government.

In the two-page letter, representatives of the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum referred to their meeting with him at the state secretariat on 18 September when their demands "were verbally agreed".