The junior doctors of West Bengal are continuing their hunger strike for the ninth day on Sunday, demanding justice for the RG Kar hospital incident.
People across the state are holding a “symbolic fast” to show their support for the agitators. Three of the junior doctors observing the ‘fast unto death’ in Kolkata and Siliguri have been hospitalized due to their deteriorating health conditions.
A group of former students of R G Kar hospital attempted to join the symbolic fasting at the medical establishment but faced resistance from the CISF personnel on security duty.The ex-students, mostly senior citizens, remain determined to proceed with their 12-hour symbolic fast. Similar fasting events are being observed in Malda and Murshidabad districts, with the agitating doctors urging people to observe “Arandhan” (no cooking) on Sunday as a sign of solidarity.
The junior doctors’ demands include justice for the RG Kar hospital victim, the removal of Health Secretary N S Nigam, workplace security, and the establishment of a centralized referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state. They also call for the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system and the formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
The hunger strike follows nearly 50 days of ‘cease work’ in two phases, which began after an on-duty postgraduate trainee was allegedly raped and murdered inside the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to intervene before the situation escalates further.
Doctors of private hospitals have called for a 48-hour “partial cease work” from October 14 in medical establishments across West Bengal, while the Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal, has called for a ‘protest carnival’ on October 15 at Esplanade, coinciding with the government-organized carnival on Red Road.
The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) has warned of a nationwide “complete shutdown of medical services” if any harm is caused to the protesting junior doctors.
