One of the main reasons why protesting junior doctors agreed to meet the chief minister at Nabanna was the apprehension they could lose people’s sympathy because patients were suffering, according to health officials, senior doctors and some protesters.

Also, health officials and senior doctors persuading the protesting junior doctors to call off the ceasework as patients were suffering played a role.

The junior doctors had till Saturday insisted that chief minister Mamata Banerjee would have to be at the NRS Medical College and Hospital to speak to them.

On Sunday, after a general body meeting, which was later addressed by director of medical education Pradip Mitra, the junior doctors had announced they would meet the chief minister at a venue of her choice.

“The junior doctors realised that dragging the strike too long meant more suffering for patients. They knew people’s sympathy was wearing thin,” a health official said. “Also, as the days went by, some of the protesting junior doctors wanted to resume duties.”

According to some of the junior doctors, those doing internships after completing their MBBS were determined to carry on the ceasework but postgraduate trainees thought the agitation should end amicably.

“Differences were cropping up at ground level and there was pressure to withdraw the strike. After the CM’s appeal on Saturday, the pressure for holding talks with her increased,” a junior doctor said. “We realised that NRS hospital was not a proper place to hold discussions with the CM and Nabanna would be better.”

Senior doctors

A large number of senior doctors had resigned en masse to show solidarity with the movement. But at the same time, some constantly advised the protesting junior doctors to call off the ceasework.

On Friday, five senior doctors met Mamata at Nabanna requesting her to hold talks with the agitating doctors. Mamata agreed to meet the junior doctors but they refused.

“But this was the beginning. The junior doctors realised that the chief minister had waited for them for hours to hold talks. This had a big impact on their decision,” a senior doctor of a government medical college said.

Also, senior doctors at several medical colleges had started attending to patients at emergency wards. It was decided that senior doctors would run the outpatient departments as well.

“If the emergency wards and OPDs started functioning even partially, then patients would be treated and this would have had an impact on the movement,” a senior doctor of SSKM Hospital said.

Swasthya Bhavan

Health department officials worked on bringing the protesters to the talks table as senior doctors kept persuading the protesters.

Director of medical education Mitra visited NRS hospital almost every day.

On Monday, Metro reported how Mitra had addressed the junior doctors on Sunday and told them that it was time to withdraw the ceasework.

After the junior doctors agreed to meet the chief minister, Mitra coordinated with them till late at night on Sunday. Health secretary Rajiva Sinha coordinated with Mamata and kept sending messages to the protesting doctors through Mitra.

On Monday, too, after the junior doctors had suddenly refused to go to Nabanna, demanding live media coverage, Mitra went to NRS and persuaded them to attend the meeting. “They were raising the number of demands but we agreed.... We were keen to resolve the impasse,” a health department official said.