Key Takeaways
- The junior doctors are on a hunger strike demanding justice for the victim and removal of the state Health Secretary.
- The 10-point charter of demands includes a centralised referral system, digital bed vacancy monitors, and task forces in every medical college.
- The outcome of the meeting between Mamata Banerjee and the junior doctors will decide the future course of action.
Kolkata: All eyes are on the scheduled meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the protesting junior doctors, whose fast unto death entered the 17th day on Monday demanding settlement of their ten-point charter of demands in relation to the government owned hospitals across the state, including RG Kar.
Banerjee on Saturday invited the medics to meet her at 5.30 PM in Nabanna on Monday for discussion to end the ongoing impasse on the demands and appealed to them to withdraw the agitation and resume duty.
The medics, under the umbrella of West Bengal Junior Doctors, decided to meet her but continue to carry out the protests until their 10-points demands, including removal of state Health Secretary Nayaran Swaroop Nigam.
Banerjee on Saturday had clarified that many of the demands were met already including removal of the Health Director and Director of medical education but can not concede all the demands.
Sources said the outcome of the meeting of the day would decide the future course of action of the junior medics, who have been protesting since August 9 when their 31-year-old lady medic was found raped and
murdered at her working place RG Kar in north Kolkata.
Now 8 junior doctors, including lady medics are on fast after six of their colleagues fell sick and were admitted to the hospitals.
The 10 demands placed before the government by the Junior doctors were: justice for the victim, removal of state Health Secretary, a centralised referral system, digital bed vacancy monitors in all Hospitals, task forces in every medical colleges with elected representatives of junior doctors, deployment of police in hospitals,
filling up of vacancies in hospitals, holding election of student councils, college-level enquiry committees to probe into allegations of threat culture and probe into the alleged corruption in the state medical council.
