Doctors call for 12-hour strike
Kolkata: Doctors across the state have called for a 12-hour strike under the banner of Joint Platform of Doctors. The protest will hit the services in state-run hospitals and the patients will suffer the most.
Protesting against the assault on a junior doctor at the NRS Medical College and Hospital, doctors and interns in the state-run hospital and medical colleges resorted to seize-work despite a huge number of patients stood in queues since Tuesday afternoon. Despite repeated requests and pleas by the patients' families doctors did not withdraw their protest.
According to a source, a rumour was spread through social media platforms that the junior doctor, Paribaha Mukherjee, was serious after being attacked by the relatives of the patient, who died of alleged negligence. Mukherjee is stable and undergoing treatment at the Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, at
Mallikbazar. Director of Medical Education Pradip Mitra tried to convince the junior doctors and interns that Mukherjee was not critical but none believed him.
As soon as the news reached other hospitals such as North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Midnapore Medical College and Hospital and other major hospitals in the state, junior doctors and interns resorted to cease work hitting the outdoor and emergency services of these hospitals.
Despite repeated requests from hospital authorities and state government the doctors refused to get back to work.
In the evening, authorities of Institute of Neurosciences told the mediapersons that Mukherjee was undergoing a surgery but he was
stable.
He suffered a 'depressed fracture' on his skull. Following the surgery, he will be kept under observation and at present he is out of danger.
After the hospital authorities issued the statement, junior doctors were requested to get back to work but they continued with their protest.
Later, Joint Platform of Doctors, the forum of doctors, called for a 12-hour strike starting from 9am on Wednesday. The forum said the emergency services would be provided but the whole medical system will be affected due to the doctors' protest.
