RG Kar Case: Junior Doctors End 42-Day 'Cease Work' In Kolkata, To Resume Essential Services From Saturday
The doctors will end their sit-in demonstration before the Swasthya Bhawan, headquarters of the state health department in Salt Lake, on Friday.
The junior doctors, who have been agitating over the RG Kar rape and murder for the past 42 days in Kolkata, ended their protest on Thursday. The protesting doctors will resume essential services from September 21.
Though the medics will resume the emergency services from Saturday, the OPD services will remain suspended.
The 'dharna' is likely to end on Friday with a protest march from 'Swastha Bhawan' to the CBI office in CGO Complex at 3 pm, urging the probe agency to expedite the investigation into the RG Kar case.
The development comes after the West Bengal government accepted most of the demands of the protesting medics. Meanwhile, there have been massive floods in south Bengal where health services have become a priority.
Following the announcement, the doctors will end their sit-in demonstration before Swasthya Bhawan, the headquarters of the state health department in Salt Lake, which was ongoing for the 10th day on Thursday.
Govt Order To Be Issued On Friday: Doctor
One of the protesting doctors said that they had a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on September 16, where they got hope that the state government is also trying to change the circumstances.
"We got a glimpse of hope that the state government is also trying, along with us, to change change the circumstances here, to uproot the corruption that runs in all these systems... that is the conclusion we got from that meeting. As you have already seen our demands, we have talked about those in detail with the Special Task Force," the protesting junior doctor said on their meeting with the Chief Secretary.
VIDEO | "We know that whatever happened, it happened because of the deep-rooted threat culture in our hospitals, and we wanted to uproot that as well... The Chief Secretary has assured that tomorrow, early in the morning, if we email them our demands, then they will issue order… pic.twitter.com/hfhIWsoZKP
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 19, 2024
She said that the Chief Secretary has assured that if the demands are sent by Friday, then the government will issue an order.
ALSO READ | Kolkata Doctors' Protest: Mamata Accepts ‘99% Of Demands' But Medics Continue ‘Cease Work’. Here's Why
"The Chief Secretary has assured that tomorrow, early in the morning, if we email them our demands, then they will issue order accordingly. Till then, our 'cease work' will keep continuing and we are going to continue our movement till justice is served," the doctor added.
Earlier in the day, the doctors had submitted a draft of the key points of their meeting with the West Bengal government to Chief Secretary Manoj Pant last night. The e-mail, detailing the points which were discussed and agreed upon between the two sides and also those which weren’t, was sent as per the state’s requirement based on which the government is expected to issue directives, the doctors said.
What Unfolded In 5-Hour Long Meet On Wednesday?
The junior doctors and officials of the Bengal government had conducted a meeting on Wednesday to resolve the impasse. During the meeting that lasted for over five and a half hours, the doctors highlighted issues of their safety inside state-run hospital premises and details of formulation and functions of the promised task force at the meeting.
However, after the Wednesday's meeting, the medics announced to continue their 'cease work' agitation till the government issues a writtten directive on the safety of doctors in state-run hospitals as agreed in the meeting.
The doctors have been protesting for the past 42 days after the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital came to light on August 9.
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