RG Kar Case: Junior Doctors Call Off Hunger Strike After Meet With CM Mamata Banerjee In Kolkata

The junior doctors initiated a 'cease-work' on August 9 following the alleged rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Hospital, and the hunger strike began on October 5.

The doctors stressed they were withdrawing their agitation at the request of the common people (Image: PTI)

Source : PTI

RG Kar Protest: The resident doctors in West Bengal decided to call off their indefinite hunger strike after a two-hour-long meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday (October 21, 2024). Citing an appeal by the parents of the medic-- who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital, for their decision-- the protesting doctors said they have also decided to call off their proposed strike across hospitals due on Tuesday. 

The junior doctors have been on a 'fast-unto-death' at Esplanade-- in the heart of Kolkata-- since October 5. Since they began their hunger strike, more than half a dozen medics had to be hospitalised after their health deteriorated. 

Announcing their decision to call off their protest after meeting with CM Mamata, the doctors stressed they were withdrawing their agitation at the request of the common people and the parents of a trainee doctor who was found dead on August 9. They also withdrew their proposed shutdown of the West Bengal health sector from Tuesday till an indefinite period.

VIDEO | RG Kar rape-murder case: "We have decided that we will respect the request from the common people who have supported us throughout, we are withdrawing our hunger strike but we will continue the fight," says one of the protesting junior doctors after meeting West Bengal CM… pic.twitter.com/2BhTmfcnBK

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 21, 2024

"In today's meeting (with the CM), we did get the assurance of some directives, but the body language of the state government was not positive... The common people have wholeheartedly supported us. They, as well as the parents of our deceased sister (RG Kar hospital victim), have been requesting us to call off the hunger strike, keeping in mind our deteriorating health,” said Debashish Halder, one of the protesting junior medics.

"We are, therefore, withdrawing our 'fast-unto-death'; and also Tuesday's total shutdown in the health sector," he added.

Sayantani Ghosh Hazra, another junior doctor who was on hunger strike, said, "Today the meeting that took place with CM, we got the opportunity to discuss many things and she also spoke to us about many things. We have got some directives which she said that we will get by 3 pm tomorrow."

#WATCH | Sayantani Ghosh Hazra, a junior doctor who was on hunger strike says, " Today the meeting that took place with CM, we got the opportunity to discuss many things and she also spoke to us many things. We have got some directives which she said that we will get by 3pm… https://t.co/3lvbrnxtyN pic.twitter.com/2G4JXrpUHe

— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2024

The junior doctors initiated a 'cease-work' on August 9 following the alleged rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Hospital, and the hunger strike began on October 5 after nearly 50 days of 'cease-work' in two phases. They had been on a fast-unto-death for the last 17 days, demanding justice for their deceased colleague and calling for systemic changes in the state's healthcare infrastructure.