Threats of eviction from the hostels, being failed in the exams, not allowed “completion”, marked deliberately absent are some of the hurdles in the way of the junior doctors, interns and house staff in Bengal’s teaching hospitals for their refusal to return to duty since the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Irrespective of the consequences, the junior doctors are determined to march on the protest path till their demands are fulfilled.

“Threats, veiled or direct, we are not bothered. Anybody can say what they want to but we are not going to budge from our stand,” said Arnab Talukdar, an intern at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.

“Some teachers are saying our results will be affected if we do not resume duties. At the hostel, students supporting the ruling party are threatening us with eviction. But they cannot stop us,” he added.

A resident doctor, a third-year postgraduate at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital who did not want to disclose his identity, supported the juniors’ stand: “Come what may, till the demands are met, the cease-work will continue.”

A street art at the Medical College and Hospital Calcutta against rape Sourced by: TT online

Apart from impartial investigation and punishment of the guilty, the junior doctors are demanding a safer work environment, suspension of the RG Kar and Medical College and Hospital former principal Sandip Ghosh till he is absolved or found guilty in the rape-murder case and the removal of Calcutta’s police chief, Vineet Goyal.

Ghosh is being grilled by the CBI for 13 days now in two separate cases: the rape-murder at RG Kar, and the alleged financial irregularities there under his watch.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s administration had transferred Ghosh to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital hours after he had tendered his resignation from RG Kar. On Wednesday, Trinamul general secretary Abhieshek Banerjee had questioned why the CBI had not arrested Ghosh yet.

The protesting junior doctors have accused the Kolkata police of being mute witness to the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on the eve of Independence day, and of tampering evidence in the rape-and-murder probe.

The possibility of “action” against the warring junior doctors has gained strength after chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s comments on Wednesday during the party event, which many feel was a veiled threat directed at the young medicos.

The chief minister on Thursday denied she had made any threat – veiled or unmasked – to the doctors.

“You have been holding protests I did not take any action. I won’t take any action because you are upset, angry. But now you must gradually return to work. The Supreme Court has also given the states the power to intervene,” Mamata said at the event held at Mayo Road.

“I don’t want to take action against anyone. An FIR could ruin your career. You will find it difficult to get visa, passport. Your life could get destroyed. Ours is a humane government and we don’t want to do any such thing.”

Since the morning of August 9, when the 31-year old postgraduate trainee doctor’s body was found in the seminar hall of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital’s chest department, the junior doctors and medical students have been on the streets.

“Ever since we started our movement demanding justice for one of our colleagues, we have been under pressure. Whether they threat us or take action, we will stick to our stand,” said a final year student of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, requesting anonymity.

An intern at Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital said they were feeling apprehensive after the chief minister’s statement: “We have been protesting for almost 20 days now. The hospital authorities have been pressuring us to return to work for some time now. They could adopt some other methods to break our protest.”

On Wednesday, Mamata had referred to the economically weaker section of the population whose healthcare and consequently life depends on the doctors and caregivers at public healthcare facilities.

“Go ahead with your rallies. You have my full support. You also have the responsibility of providing services to the people,” Mamata had said.

“The Supreme Court has spoken about providing services to the people. But many people have died without getting services. These are poor people. Those with crores of money can go to the private hospitals. But the poor can’t do so. Where will a pregnant woman go? Where will a patient with cardiac arrest go?”

The junior doctors said while they have been on strike, the senior doctors including the teachers have been treating patients.

“The patient services have not been affected. This is being deliberately said to instigate the people against us,” said a junior doctor.

The Joint Platform of Doctors, an umbrella organisation, on Thursday issued a strongly worded statement to the “doctors’ community”.

It said: “For too long, this was the norm — protests were raised, but they never made a difference. That all changed on the fateful day of August 9th. [The intern’s] murder has triggered a seismic shift, and the tables have turned. The corrupt have retreated into hiding. Though unaware [the victim], has become the spark of a historic uprising. Her murder has ignited a movement, and now, in unison, people are rising to topple this regime of kleptocracy and lootocracy. This awakening is like no other. Her killers had no idea what they unleashed. Nor did the powers that shielded them foresee the force now set in motion. But it is too late for them — their reckoning is inevitable. Every one of them will face justice. There will be no mercy. They will not be forgiven. Never.”