The Kolkata doctors are ending their ceasework and sit-in in front of Swasthya Bhavan on Friday after 41 days of protests against the brutal rape and murder of trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. This decision came after the West Bengal government issued a directive assuring security to the healthcare workers.
The medics announced a partial resumption of duties entailing the attending essential services in state-run hospitals from Saturday.
The medics also announced setting up of Abhaya medical camps, in memory of the brutally murdered RG Kar trainee doctor, at flood-affected regions of the state from Friday.
RG Kar Rape & Murder: Medics Withdraw Protests Partially, Bengal Govt Issues Directives | Top Updates
To mark the withdrawal of their 10-day dharna before Swasthya Bhawan, the stirring doctors gave a call to march to the CBI office at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake at 3 pm on Friday seeking justice for the RG Kar victim and a quick wrap up of investigations.
The protesting doctors on Thursday said they would not work in the Outpatient Department (OPD) but would partially work in emergency and essential services.
The announcements came shortly after Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, following up on issues discussed in Wednesday's meeting between the agitating junior doctors and the state task force, issued a list of directives on the safety, security and conducive environment for healthcare professionals, saying those orders need to be implemented immediately.
Pant, in a two-page communication to Principal Secretary (Health) NS Nigam, issued 10 directives including the need for "adequate availability of on-duty rooms, washrooms, CCTVs and drinking water facilities in the healthcare facilities."
It also stated that the state has appointed former DGP Surajit Kar Purkayastha to conduct security audits of all medical colleges and hospitals.
The directive included instructions to fully functionalise all hospital committees, including the Internal Complaints Committees, deployment details of security personnel on campuses, setting up of a centralised helpline number in healthcare facilities and a panic call button alarm system.
"Our fight is far from over," said Aniket Mahato, one of the agitating doctors as he explains that the arrests of ex-RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and Tala PS OC were also shots in the arm of their movement and hence they decided to end their stir.
Another protesting doctor speaking about the directive issued by Bengal government alleged that it has "carefully avoided addressing the issue of persisting threat culture" in medical colleges and ways and means to restore democratic atmosphere in campuses. He added, "There is no effective direction to end the climate of fear among junior doctors and there is no assurance that a repeat of the RG Kar incident will never take place in future."
The doctor confirmed that all junior medics plan to continue with their demonstrations at their respective colleges. "We will draw up a Standard Operating Procedure detailing the nature of essential services which junior doctors would attend, This SOP would vary from hospital to hospital depending on the nature of emergencies they cater to," he said.
The medics clarified their intentions to continue hitting the streets and fighting it out at the Supreme Court "till justice for Abhaya is received".
The directives from the chief secretary had come hours after the junior doctors submitted to Pant a draft of the key points of their meeting with the government on Wednesday night which remained inconclusive on account of the state's alleged refusal to sign the minutes of meeting (MoM).
Earlier, the protesting doctors had sent to the chief secretary a draft of the key takeaways of the talks which took place between them and the government late Wednesday night, detailing the points which were discussed and agreed upon by the two sides.
The draft contained 15 points as suggestions for the directives to be issued by the state which included setting up of separate central and college-level inquiry committees to identify and initiate departmental proceedings against those responsible for perpetrating "threat culture" on medical campuses.
A cursory comparison between the draft issued by the stirring doctors and the CS directive showed that the state had issued corresponding instructions to implement nine of those 15 demands.
The body of 31-year-old trainee doctor was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9 and nationwide protests followed demanding justice and better workplace environment for women.
CBI took over the investigation in the case and Supreme Court took a suo motu cognizance of the case last month. The ex-principal of RG Kar hospital Sandip Ghosh was arrested in the case pertaining to the murder and as well as financial irregularities in the institution. There have been other arrests in the case as well.
