Talks fail to end Bengal healthcare impasse; Pan India hunger strike announced | Kolkata
The talks between the West Bengal government and senior doctors representing 10 organisations failed to end the impasse in the state’s healthcare system on Monday as junior doctors continued their indefinite hunger strike demanding justice for the victim of the August 9 rape and murder at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and reforms in the system.
The hunger strike, which began on October 4, was being carried out by seven junior doctors from various hospitals after a fifth striker, Tanaya Panja, was rushed to hospital in serious condition on Monday night. Four others were hospitalised till Sunday. Three doctors took their place.
Expressing solidarity with their West Bengal counterparts, the Junior Doctors’ Network of the Indian Medical Association announced that their members will hold a 12-hour hunger strike (6am to 6pm) at all medical colleges and hospitals in the country on Tuesday when the Supreme Court is scheduled to review the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s probe into the Kolkata doctor’s death.
Describing the two-and-a-half hour meeting with state’s senior doctors as “some progress,” chief secretary Manoj Pant said: “Of the 10 demands junior doctors raised, the state is implementing seven. We urge them to end the hunger strike and return to work.”
Dr Manas Gumta from the Joint Platform of Doctors said: “Convening a meeting without the health secretary was a meaningless exercise. The government was not ready to set deadlines for implementing the demands. Also, it was not ready to discuss the three remaining demands, of which removal of the health secretary (N S Nigam) is one.”
These three demands also include removal of Dr Sudipta Roy, who is also a Trinamool Congress legislator, as head of the West Bengal Medical Council and the health recruitment board. Another demand is complete overhauling of the recruitment system.
“We told the doctors clearly that we cannot declare any timeline or discuss the three demands. That is their demand. It is the state government’s prerogative to decide what is to be done and at what point of time,” Pant told the media.
While the hunger strike continued at Rani Rashmoni Avenue in the heart of Kolkata, the young leaders of the movement led a procession to Raj Bhawan on Monday afternoon to express their dissatisfaction with the CBI probe.
Following the August 13 order of the Calcutta high court, the CBI took Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer working for the Kolkata police, into custody, days after he was arrested by the city police as the prime suspect.
“The CBI fled a chargesheet naming Roy as the sole perpetrator which we refuse to believe. The CBI is silent on RG Kar Hospital’s former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh and the former officer-in-charge of Tala police station although the agency arrested both in the rape and murder case. We are not happy with the probe,” said Debasish Haldar, one of the leaders of junior doctors’ agitation said.
Governor C V Ananda Bose was taking rest and could not hold any discussion, Kinjal Nanda, another face of the agitation, said outside the Raj Bhawan. “We only handed our memorandum to him and left,” said Nanda.
Referring to the meeting the government held with senior doctors, Haldar said : “We don’t know what transpired because we were not there but we completely disagree with the chief secretary’s claim that seven demands are being implemented fast. These include revamping of security arrangements at hospitals.”
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also in charge of health and home departments, earlier met the junior doctors thrice. This was the first time the government held talks with organisations representing senior doctors from government and private hospitals.
Doctors and medical staff at more than a dozen private hospitals, including Manipal Hospital, Dhakuria, held a cease work at non-emergency departments on Monday while government doctors at Birbhum district hospital started a 48-hour cease-work at non-emergency departments.
As the five-day Durga puja came to an end, the Joint Platform of Doctors urged the civil society to join their droho (revolt) carnival at Rani Rashmoni Avenue on Tuesday.
Apprehending that the carnival by the doctors may affect the Durga idol immersion carnival on Red Road, an annual event Mamata Banerjee launched in 2016 to showcase Bengal’s heritage, chief secretary Pant requested the doctors at Monday’s meeting not to hold their protest.
“We sent them an e-mail on Sunday and verbally requested them today. We hope they will not hold their carnival,” Pant told reporters.
Since eminent citizens and foreign dignitaries are invited to the state event, the Kolkata police started making elaborate security arrangements at Red Road.
“We will hold our carnival as planned. Let the government go forward with its celebrations,” Dr Hiralal Konar, one of the convenors, said.
“To support our seniors, we will form a human chain from the venue of the hunger strike. Let us see how far it extends,” said Debasish Haldar.
Meanwhile, TMC Lok Sabha member Kalyan Banerjee took a jibe at the junior doctors on Monday, triggering a row.
“We had heard of fast unto death. This is fast unto hospitalisation. They don’t have the mettle to carry out hunger strikes. They are doing all this to serve their interests. Let them visit a village and people will show what happens to doctors who escape from duty,” Banerjee told the media.
“Is Banerjee implying that we should leave our colleagues in critical condition and let them die? We cannot do that. He should know that people fall sick when they are on fast. My colleagues are not on a diet of cakes and sandwiches,” Debasish Haldar said.
