Doctors’ strike: ‘23 lives lost, 7lakh outdoor patients denied treatment’

Kolkata: Health secretary NS Nigam said that due to the cease-work called by the junior doctors over the RGK incident, around 7 lakh outdoor patients and 70,000 indoor patients have been denied treatment.

Over 7,000 planned surgeries were deferred while 1,500 patients in cath labs were left untreated.

As many as 23 lives were lost due to lack of treatment.

Urging the doctors to resume work Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the administrative meet said: “State government has fulfilled all the demands which were submitted to Swasthya Bhawan. Whatever is necessary to restore health services needs to be done. We don’t want to take any steps against anybody. We want the issue is resolved through discussion.”

She also stated that she was happy that the police did not take any action on the agitating junior doctors. She said that it happens only in Bengal.

In other states, the protesters are cracked down. Banerjee also said that she asked the Health Secretary to address the areas where there were lapses.

Instructions have been given to set up washrooms, and restrooms, she mentioned.

Taking the cue from the Chief Minister, chief secretary Manoj Pant said that Rs 100 crore has already been allocated for strengthening security in the hospitals, including the installation of CCTVs, washrooms, toilets and restrooms. “The private security in the hospitals will also be beefed up through training and orientation so that the doctors can carry out their duties in a secure manner,” he added.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court intervention in asking agitating junior doctors to return to work by 5 pm on Tuesday citing that “protests cannot be at the cost of duty” as lakhs of poor suffer due to lack of medical assistance amid protests by junior doctors in Bengal. It claimed that 24 people died due to lack of treatment so far.

Senior party leaders Partha Bhowmick and Bratya Basu during a press conference highlighted that the proceedings at the Apex Court vindicated the concerns raised by their party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee 3 days ago.

Bratya Basu said: “We want to thank the Hon’ble Supreme Court and CJI Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud. He made an important statement, that ‘protest can’t be at the cost of duty’. We are sympathetic to the cause of the junior doctors which have been deemed as fair by both the TMC supremo and the national general secretary.

Taking note of what CJI said today, we issue yet another appeal to junior doctors to return to their work.”