Junior doctors to continue strike, say want to know ‘status of probe’

Kolkata: A meeting that was held between the junior doctors and senior health officials at Swasthya Bhawan on Saturday turned to be a “futile” exercise as the agitating junior doctors refused to withdraw their cease work in RG Kar Medical College and other hospitals and medical colleges. The junior doctors claimed that they are not going to withdraw their cease work as of now as no significant development has taken place in connection with the probe into the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at the RG Kar. Senior health officials urged the junior doctors saying that the health department has accepted their demands. Security arrangements are being enhanced in hospitals and the RG Kar Medical College officials who were in question have been transferred, the health officials told the doctors. The agitating doctors, however, demanded that those RG Kar Medical College officials who have been transferred must not be given any posts. Junior doctors were urged to attend a meeting at Swasthya Bhawan.

A delegation of junior doctors who met the health officials said that they would continue the cease work as long as they came to know who were the culprits behind the crime and what was the purpose behind the incident. In another development, Director of Medical Education Dr Kaustav Nayek along with some other senior health officials met the agitating junior doctors at the RG Kar Medical College and urged them to withdraw their ceasework. Dr Nayek also held a meeting with the new Principal of RG Kar, Dr Manas Bandopadhyay. The agitating junior doctors, however, refused to withdraw their cease work. They said that they wanted to know the status of the probe. The agitating doctors also want to know what steps have been taken against former RG Kar Medical College principal Dr Sandip Ghosh who is currently facing a CBI probe. The junior doctors also said that the final decision regarding the withdrawal of cease work in their GB meeting on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, the Medical Service Centre, an organisation of doctors on Saturday submitted a memorandum to the Health Secretary NS Nigam demanding the arrest and exemplary punishment of former RG Kar Principal Dr Sandip Ghosh and exemplary punishment for those who told the victim’s parents that it was a case of suicide. It also asked why there was a delay in filing an FIR and why parents were prevented for long hours from seeing the body of the victim. Meanwhile, it was learnt that the protesting doctors are likely to hold a Press meet on Sunday afternoon.