Junior docs resume ‘total strike’, cite unfulfilled promises, slow CBI probe
Kolkata: Placing 10-point demands before the state government which allegedly failed to fulfil the promises made in the last meeting, the junior doctors resumed their cease-work agitation on Tuesday while accusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of slow investigation.
The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, in its statement, appeared to also question the Supreme Court, saying they are “disappointed and angered by this protracted judicial process.”
The junior doctors had called off their strike on September 19 after a hiatus of 42 days following a series of meetings with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They now alleged that the state government hasn’t fulfilled their promises, forcing them to resume cease-work.
The 10-point demands include “Abhaya’s question of justice should be answered immediately without any further delay in the form of a protracted judicial process.
The Health Department must take responsibility for administrative incompetence and corruption and must immediately remove the Health secretary from his position.
A centralised referral system must be implemented immediately in all hospitals and medical colleges in the state. A digital bed vacancy monitor must be established in each medical college and hospital. Task forces based on each college, with elected representation of junior doctors, must be formed in all medical colleges and hospitals to ensure necessary arrangements for CCTV, on-call rooms, and bathrooms.
Incidentally, the state government on Tuesday decided to constitute a state-level grievance redressal committee of seven doctors to address the complaints of all the stakeholders related to the health care services in the state. Following the instruction of the Chief Minister, the health department on Tuesday reconstituted the Rogi Kalyan Samiti of different medical colleges.
Junior doctors said they will continue strike and will organise a massive rally in the city on Wednesday. “We understand that many questions are on everyone’s mind today. We too had many questions as we looked toward the Supreme Court. We wanted to know what the CBI and the Supreme Court had to say regarding the murder and rape of Abhaya. However, we realised just how slow the CBI’s investigation is,” read the press statement by the junior doctors. It further stated: “We have seen many times before that the CBI has been unable to reach any conclusions, allowing the real culprits of such incidents to go free due to delays in filing charges. The Supreme Court, which had taken the initiative to expedite the trial of this heinous incident has instead only postponed hearings and reduced the actual length of proceedings. We are disappointed and angered by this protracted judicial process”.
“Fifty-two days have passed since August 9, yet what have we gained in terms of security? The CCTV cameras, which the state government promotes as the main indicator of safety, have only been installed in a fraction of the necessary locations in colleges over these 50 days” they said.
Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, however, on Monday told reporters that the state government was working to strengthen the security measures of the doctors in state-run hospitals and its results would soon be reflected.
On Monday, the junior doctors’ counsel had claimed at the Supreme Court that the doctors were performing all duties, including IPD and OPD as part of essential services.
In reality, the junior doctors were not providing services at IPDs and OPDs which they had also announced while resuming work after a hiatus of 42 days.
The Chief Justice’s Bench recorded the doctors’ counsel’s statement that all junior doctors are performing and shall perform essential services including IPD and OPD.
