RG Kar case: Protesting doctors to meet Mamata today, hunger strike to continue

The agitating junior doctors are scheduled to meet West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday in another attempt to resolve the impasse over the RG Kar rape-murder case issue. However, the doctors have asserted that their hunger strike will continue till the meeting, and the future of their movement will be decided on the basis of the outcome of the meeting.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged the junior doctors protesting the rape-murder of their colleague at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to end their fast-unto-death. She said that majority of the demands put forward by the medics have been met, except for the removal of the health secretary.
Chief Secretary Manoj Pant invited the medics for a 45-minute discussion with Banerjee on Monday at the state secretariat, conditional upon the “withdrawal of the hunger strike.” However, the doctors remained firm that the hunger strike will not be withdrawn before the meeting.
They also maintained their demand for the removal of health secretary N S Nigam in order to resolve the impasse.
Debasish Halder, one of the agitating medics, told reporters that there is serious concern regarding the health of the doctors who are continuing the hunger strike. He also said that the medics sitting on the hunger strike will not attend the meeting.
The doctor highlighted that the junior doctors have previously attended all meetings called by the state government, even with very short notice, with no proper resolution till now.
While speaking to the doctors over a phone call on Saturday, Mamata Banerjee had said, “Everybody has the right to protest, but it shouldn’t affect healthcare services. I would request you all to withdraw your fast.”
Banerjee also rejected the demand for the removal of Nigam, explaining that “it is not possible to remove everyone in a department at once; we have already removed the DHS (Director of Health Services) and DME (Director of Medical Education). Please rise above politics and rejoin work.”
A junior doctor was raped and murdered on August 9 inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, sparking mass outrage by medics and healthcare fraternity over the safety and working conditions of employees inside medical facilities.
(With inputs from PTI)