The anger of the doctors of the state over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in West Bengal has not yet subsided. On Friday, a group of junior doctors criticized Bengal opposition leader Shubhendu Adhikari for saying that those who raised slogans of ‘go back’ against Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Agnimitra Paul were not junior doctors, and said that the statement of the officer was wrong. The agitating doctors stressed that they will not allow their protest to be politicized.
His statement came after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) released a video saying that some junior doctors were getting support from the nearby BJP office. The English newspaper ‘The Telegraph’ has given this information in one of its reports. A doctor said, “We will not allow anyone to use our movement for political gain. We condemn the statement of Shubhendu Adhikari in which he said that those who shouted ‘go back’ slogans at Agnimitra Paul were not junior doctors.”
During a press conference outside the Health Bhavan, the protesters called for reforms in the state’s healthcare system. Let us tell you that junior doctors are protesting demanding justice. They demanded strong infrastructure to prevent patients from going far for minor ailments and an efficient referral system to reduce the number of people coming to the hospital.
The agitating junior doctors in West Bengal have also written to President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting them to intervene in the problem of RG Kar Hospital. Copies of the four-page letter written by the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front have also been sent to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union Health Minister JP Nadda.
The doctors demanded holding of student union elections in medical colleges, formation of Resident Doctors Association and transparent elections of West Bengal Medical Council. Earlier, the Joint Forum of Doctors and the Bengal chapter of the Indian Medical Association had demanded dissolution of the State Medical Council and holding of fresh elections.
At the press conference, the junior doctors reiterated five demands. They included identifying and arresting those responsible for the RG Kar rape and murder, resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goel, disciplinary action against RG Kar’s former principal Sandip Ghosh, safety measures for healthcare workers and resignation of top state health officials.
CCTV cameras at the venue
Junior doctors in Kolkata continued their protest for the fourth consecutive night amid heavy rains at the Swasthya Bhavan in Salt Lake area. News agency ANI reported that Kolkata Police has installed CCTV cameras at the protest site and surrounding areas to monitor the situation and ensure security. Let us tell you that the Supreme Court has set a deadline for doctors to return to work on Tuesday.