After weeks of intense protests, the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front announced on Thursday evening that they will call off their strike and return to work on Saturday. The protests initially erupted following the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital, sparking outrage across the state.
While emergency services across government hospitals will resume, outpatient department (OPD) services will remain suspended as their demand for justice in the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in August continues.
Despite their return to work, the protesting doctors clarified that their agitation is far from over. “On the 41st day of the protest, we achieved a lot during our agitation, including the resignation of the Kolkata Commissioner of Police and top officials in the health department. But this doesn’t mean the agitation is over,” said one of the protesting doctors in a public statement. “We will resume essential services, but OPD and OT services will remain suspended because we want to ensure that measures are taken to ensure the security of female colleagues.”
The doctors cited recent assurances from the state administration, particularly after a meeting with the Chief Secretary, as a step forward. The state government promised to implement safety and security measures, although the timeline for these actions remains unspecified.
The protesting medics, however, maintain that these measures are critical to ensuring the safety of their colleagues in hospitals, especially in light of what they describe as a “threat culture” that claimed the life of their fellow doctor’
“Tomorrow we are organising a rally from Swasthya Bhawan to the CGO complex and end our protest. We will keep a close watch on the administration after we resume our duties… If we find anything out of place, we will come back stronger,” the doctor added.
Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee agreed to some of the doctors’ key demands, including the removal of Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal, the Director of Medical Education (DME), the Director of Health Services (DHS), and the Deputy Commissioner (North Division), who allegedly offered compensation to the victim’s family.
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