Trinamool MP and the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, on Saturday tried to bridge the gap with doctors, the effort coming after the ruling party received flak from the medical fraternity following the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

After nearly four months, even as the anger simmered, Abhishek took up an endeavour to involve the doctors in a new outreach initiative, Sevashroy, a doorstep health camp at the grassroots for 23 lakh people in his Diamond Harbour constituency.

Addressing the doctors at the convention in Amtala, part of his constituency, Abhishek sought their support for Sevashroy. "I need your support.... Hope you won't refuse", he urged around 1,200 doctors who attended the convention.

Urging doctors "not to be trapped" by people with vested interest, Abhishek tried to woo members of the medical fraternity, who continue to hit the streets demanding justice for the raped and murdered doctor and an overhaul of the health department.

A Trinamool insider said that Abhishek was aware of the damage that some leaders of his party had caused by attacking doctors during the movement for justice for the RG Kar doctor.

"Some leaders like Kunal Ghosh and Kalyan Banerjee had often used harsh words against the doctors and their move. Our Didi (chief minister Mamata Banerjee) did her best to resolve the crisis but attacks on doctors by a few leaders distanced the medical fraternity from our party. Abhishek has realised the error and is trying for a course correction," said the insider.

Since several steps that the state government initially took angered doctors and the health department was under the chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek tried to bridge the rift between doctors and his party and the state government.

"From the very first day I have been condemning the incident. I was with doctors," he said, but added that only a "stringent" law could stop rapes.

Speaking at the convention, he also urged doctors not to take up any protest that might lead to the death of a patient in their absence. "You protested well.... But the protest should be done in such a way so that no life is lost," he told the doctors. "If even a single life is lost, it would be like committing a bigger crime for which you are protesting.... You cannot deny service to anyone.... Just as a public representative cannot deny civic service to anyone, a doctor in the same way can't deny medical service to a patient whatever the situation. You have taken an oath for it."