After days of deadlock, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government on Monday accepted most of the demands put forward by the protesting doctors, demanding justice for the RG Kar rape and murder victim. The Chieh Minister also requested the medics to end their agitation, but they said they would continue their ‘cease work’ protest on Tuesday and wait for the Supreme Court hearing on the Kolkata rape and murder case.
Following a meeting with the agitating doctors, the Trinamool supremo claimed that talks were “fruitful” and nearly “99 per cent of their demands have been accepted."
What Mamata Govt Agreed To?
As per the demands of protestors, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal--who allegedly offered money to the parents of the RG Kar victim--, the Director of Medical Education (DME) and the Director of Health Services (DHS) would be removed and the name of the new Kolkata police commissioner will be announced after 4 PM on Tuesday, Banerjee told reporters after the meeting held at her residence to resolve the RG Kar impasse.
“Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and Deputy Commissioner of the North Division Abhishek Gupta will be transferred. The doctors had claimed that Goyal had earlier told them that he wanted to step down because they had lost faith in him. We have accommodated his request and transferred him to a position he had asked for...We will announce the name of the new police commissioner after 4 pm on Tuesday after the scheduled hearing in Supreme Court gets over,” Banerjee told reporters at her Kalighat residence.
“No punitive action will be taken against the doctors… We have accepted almost all demands of the doctors. Keeping in mind the plight of the common people, we did the best we could. I now appeal to the doctors to return to work,” she added.
The decisions were formalised in the minutes of the meeting which was signed by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and countersigned by the delegation of 42 doctors who participated in the talks to end the RG Kar hospital deadlock.
The agitating doctors are on ‘cease work’ across the state for 38 days since the gruesome alleged rape and murder of the postgraduate intern at RG Kar hospital came to light on August 9, crippling state-run healthcare delivery.
Are Doctors Ending Protest?
Deeming the decisions as “the state bowing its head before the pressure of a movement and a “victory of the masses”, the doctors, however, said they would continue their protests till “the words get converted into concrete action”.
“We will decide on what our next step would be after the hearing at the Apex court and after we confirm the government issuing those transfer orders it has promised,” announced Dr Debasish Halder, one of the leaders, from the sit-in before Swasthya Bhawan which is continuing for a week amid inclement weather.
“While the CM has accepted our demand to remove the CP, DC (North), the DHS and DME, she is yet to agree on removing the principal secretary of the health department or the DC (Central). The discussions on the operating threat syndicate in hospitals and the thriving corruption racket remain incomplete. We only have verbal assurances on those matters so far. So our fight is far from over,” added Dr Aniket Mahato, another leader.
Other Demands Met By TMC Govt
The signed minutes of the meeting documented a sanction of Rs 100 crore for infrastructure development in hospitals for doctors and rebuilding of patient welfare committees as more inclusive with stakeholders.
To tackle safety-security measures in hospitals, a special task force headed by the chief secretary and having as members the home secretary, DGP, CP Kolkata and representatives of junior doctors, the minutes stated.
It also documented the setting up of an “effective and responsive grievance redressal mechanism” in medical infrastructure across hospitals and colleges of the state.