West Bengal's junior doctors' 'fast-unto-death' on Monday, October 14, entered the tenth day and also got support from the Ind,ian Medical Association (IMA), which has announced a 24-hour nationwide hunger strike on October 15.
The medics have been seeking justice for the young doctor who was raped and found dead on August 9 at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
The junior doctors have been demanding justice for the alleged RG Kar Hospital rape case victim, immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam, workplace security and other measures.
Their other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
The fast from October 5 followed nearly 50 days of 'cease work' in two phases. Their agitation began after an on-duty postgraduate trainee was allegedly raped and murdered inside state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, was on August 10 arrested on allegations of raping and killing the trainee doctor A CCTV footage and a Bluetooth device found near the medic's body resulted in the arrest of Roy, who was allegedly seen entering the seminar hall of the college where the body was found at around 4 am.
Bengal Govt's Meet With Doctors Inconclusive
A meeting between medics and the state government failed to resolve the deadlock on Monday, while two more doctors participating in the 'fast-unto-death' in Esplanade area of Kolkata fell ill, further fueling the ongoing unrest sparked by the rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Pulastha Acharya, a junior doctor from NRS Medical College and Hospital, was admitted to the facility's Critical Care Unit (CCU) on Sunday night after complaining of severe stomach pain.
In an email, Pant also urged the JPD to "advise" the junior doctors to end their hunger strike in the interest of their health and well-being.
"I write to address your organisation's call for the event scheduled on October 15 at 4 pm on Rani Rashmoni Road, Kolkata in connection with various demands of junior doctors and their ongoing hunger strike. This proposed demonstration coincides with the previously announced pujo carnival organised by the state government," news agency PTI cited the email.
The health condition of Tanaya Panja, another junior doctor from Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, worsened significantly as she lost consciousness, prompting her urgent transfer to the medical establishment for treatment. Upon arrival, she was admitted to the CCU, where a team of doctors began immediate treatment.
A crucial meeting between representatives from 12 doctors' associations and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant held at Swasthya Bhavan on Monday concluded without any resolution.
After Monday's meeting with the doctors failed, Chief Secretary Pant told reporters the doctors insisted on a clear timeline to address their demands, but the government said no such deadline can be given.
Seven out of the 10 demands raised by the junior doctors have already been addressed, while the remaining three required further administrative consideration, Pant said.
"For the remaining three demands, they were requesting specific timelines. These are administrative decisions that the state needs to consider, so we cannot provide a deadline at this point," Pant said.
Pant invited the Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) for further discussions at the state health department headquarters and urged them to call off their planned 'Droher Carnival' demonstration on October 15.
