Amid West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's request to agitating junior doctors to withdraw their indefinite hunger strike and come for talks, the 'fast-unto-death' of the medics demanding justice for the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder victim entered the 16th day on Sunday.
Taking forward the proposal for talks, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on Saturday evening invited the medics for talks with Banerjee for "45 minutes" from 5 pm on Monday at state secretariat Nabanna, conditional upon the "withdrawal of the hunger strike".
However, the protesting doctors refused to end their hunger strike until all their demands were met but agreed to join the talks on Monday.
Banerjee on Saturday spoke to the agitating doctors over phone during a visit by Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty to the protest site in Kolkata's Esplanade area and urged them to end the hunger strike, stating that most of their demands have been addressed while rejecting their insistence on removing the state health secretary.
The junior doctors have been on fast-unto-death for the last 16 days, demanding justice for their deceased colleague and calling for systemic changes in the state's healthcare infrastructure.
So far, six doctors on hunger strike have been hospitalised due to deteriorating health, while eight others remain on an indefinite fast, demanding that the state government take constructive action by Monday to resolve the deadlock.
Speaking to the doctors over the phone, the chief minister said, "Everybody has the right to protest, but it shouldn't affect healthcare services. I would request you all to withdraw your fast." Banerjee rejected the junior doctors' demand for the removal of state Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, explaining that "it is not possible to remove everyone in a department at once; we have already removed the DHS and DME, so please rise above politics and rejoin work.
The CM stressed that the doctors should withdraw their strike and meet her at state secretariat Nabanna on Monday to further discuss their demands.
"I have removed the Commissioner of Police (CP), the Director of Medical Education (DME), and the Director of Health Services (DHS), but I cannot remove everyone in the department," Banerjee explained.
She questioned, "Is it logical for you to decide which officer should be removed?" "Some of your demands need policy decisions. We will cooperate to the fullest extent possible, but it is not acceptable that you will dictate to the government what should be done," she asserted.
She appealed to their sense of responsibility, emphasising the impact the strike was having on healthcare services in the state.
"People are dependent on you for treatment. Where will the poor people go? They are treated free in government hospitals. Please forget my position and treat me as your 'Didi'. These are your just demands, but you should serve the people," she urged.
The agitating doctors, joined by colleagues across the state, have threatened to escalate their protest by organising a strike of all medical professionals in West Bengal on Tuesday if their demands were not met, with a mega rally planned for Sunday to further press their demands.
One protesting doctor remarked, "It seems the chief minister is not informed properly. Apart from a few of us who are on fast, the remaining junior doctors are working. We will not withdraw the fast till all our demands are met." Meanwhile, junior doctors called for organising a 'Chitkar Samabesh' at 4 pm on Sunday in Esplanade.
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.
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