Calcutta: A senior official of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital appealed to junior doctors on Thursday to return to the emergency wards of the hospitals while extending his support to the movement.

Junior doctors turned down the request.

At a convention held at the hospital on Thursday afternoon, Saptarshi Chatterjee, the medical superintendent and vice-principal of RG Kar appealed to the agitating junior doctors to return at least to the emergency wards considering the plight of the patients.

The convention by the junior doctors was called to find out what senior doctors and officials felt about their
movement.

The cease-work by junior doctors started on August 9 to protest against the rape and murder of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee at the seminar room of the hospital’s emergency building.

“We are also seeking justice for her. But we have to also think about the patients. A lot of patients are getting inconvenienced,” Chatterjee was quoted as saying at the convention by doctors present at the event.

“Senior doctors have been attending to the outdoors, the wards, and emergencies. They will continue to do so. But I would appeal if you could resume duties at the emergencies,” Chatterjee was quoted as saying.

Chatterjee was not available for comments. He did not take calls from The Telegraph on Thursday evening.

“We haven’t decided as yet about returning to the emergency wards. Junior doctors will continue with the agitation,” Kinjal Nanda, one of the protesting doctors, said in the evening.

The convention was held at the platinum jubilee building of RG Kar hospital.

Several officials and faculty members took turns addressing the agitating doctors.

“We support your movement,” one senior doctor reportedly said at the convention.

Several junior doctors of the institution said deploying Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) did not address one of their primary concerns about adequate security.

“How long will the CISF be there? The police must draw a plan to plug the existing loopholes in the security system. That is yet to happen,” said Saurav Roy, a junior doctor at the hospital.

“Returning to the emergency wards would be a de-escalation of the movement. There aren’t enough reasons to do so right now,” said one junior doctor.

Several faculty members addressing the convention supported their movement and extended to offer financial help if required.