Junior doctors protesting over the investigation into the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata ended their 15-day hunger strike on Monday after a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The health strike by the doctors on Tuesday has also been called off. Earlier, to resolve this deadlock, a meeting was held for about two hours on Monday evening between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the protesting junior doctors at the State Secretariat ‘Nabanna’. Both sides discussed various demands of the doctors. The meeting, held on the 17th day of the ongoing hunger strike by a section of protesting doctors, was telecast live for the first time from the State Secretariat ‘Nabanna’.
Regarding this incident that took place at Kolkata RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, junior doctors were sitting on a continuous hunger strike since October 5, demanding investigation into the murder of a fellow trainee doctor and changes in the healthcare system of the state. While announcing the end of the strike, the junior doctors said that they will organize a mass conference at RG Kar Hospital on October 26 and discuss the future strategy.
While talking to news agency PTI, a friend of the doctors sitting on hunger strike said that today in the meeting with CM Mamata, we have got assurance of accepting some of our conditions. But we did not find the body language of the state government positive. The general public fully supported us. The parents of our deceased sister (the victim of RG Kar Hospital) remained steadfast with us. Seeing our deteriorating condition, he was continuously asking us to end this strike, hence we called off this hunger strike.
In fact, before this hunger strike, the junior doctors had put 5 demands before the Mamta government of the state while going on strike from 10 August to 21 September regarding their demands, out of which the government fulfilled only 3 demands and promised to consider the remaining two demands. Gave. Later, when cases of beating of doctors and nurses came to light in one hospital, the doctors again started a hunger strike. On October 20, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked to end the strike, but the doctors decided to end the strike before the meeting. Mamta said that our government has accepted three demands of the doctors but still they are not ending the strike. Everyone has the right to protest but health services should not be affected by this.
