Mamata appeals to junior doctors to resume work

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday requested the junior doctors who have been on a "cease-work" agitation after their colleagues were allegedly assaulted by a patient's family, to resume work.

In an interview to a vernacular channel, Banerjee said: "I request them to resume work. No one is supporting those who have attacked them. But at the same time, their refusal to join work is uncalled for." She further added: "I have done everything to restore peace at NRS. Five persons have been arrested. A police picket has been posted. I have sent Chandrima Bhattacharya, Minister of State for Health and the Police Commissioner to NRS. I was ready to talk to them and had asked Bhattacharya to connect me to one of the junior doctors on the telephone. But they did not agree. The junior doctors work under tremendous pressure but at the same time they should understand the sentiments of those whose near and dear ones die. This is a sporadic incident. If a police officer or a fire brigade personnel refuse to work because they have been assaulted, then the whole system will collapse."

The Chief Minister said the state government has done everything so that best treatment can be given to the doctor who has been assaulted. The Principal Secretary has gone and spoken to his parents. "The junior doctors should understand this. There are states where stern action is taken against the doctors who go on strike. But we are not going to take any such measure," she said. Banerjee added that after the Code of Conduct was promulgated by the Election Commission of India, all the police pickets which had been posted in hospitals were withdrawn. "I did not know that and I have instructed them to reinstate the pickets immediately." Asked why she had not visited NRS, she said: "I had sent my minister, the Commissioner of Police and the Principal Secretary. Can anyone dictate my movement?"

Banerjee also maintained that the junior doctors have been instigated by some agency. "I am confident that some agency is instigating the junior doctors," she said and added: "The language they used to insult me in SSKM is uncalled for. There were some outsiders along with the doctors and I have asked the police to check the CCTV cameras."

Banerjee also reiterated that BJP had won the general elections by tampering the EVMs and spending crores of rupees. "BJP is diving society. It is unfortunate that BJP is saying that a Muslim patient had died and they beat up a Hindu doctor. Is this the way to react," she said.

The Chief Minister also urged people not to vote for BJP "whose only business is to spread canard against Bengal. They do not understand our culture or tradition and are trying to divide society."

She urged the Left Front supporters "not to cast their vote in favour of BJP. I will look after them. But they should not vote for a party that believes in hooliganism. They are manipulating social media to confuse people."