State urges agitating docs to resume work at RG Kar

kolkata: State Health department has urged the agitating junior doctors at RG Kar medical College and Hospital to resume work and cooperate with the hospital to restore normalcy and all the department heads have been directed to ensure that health services are not hampered at indoor and outpatient departments.

During a meeting at Swasthya Bhawan on Tuesday, the Director of Medical Education Dr Debasish Bhattacharjee directed various department heads (HoDs) of RG Kar Medical College to assign medical officers and assistant professors with additional responsibilities so that people are not denied treatment.

The Health department has asked the hospital authorities to ensure that treatment at the emergency department is not affected due to the cease work of interns, post graduate trainees.

Senior health officials have advised the hospital authorities to solve the issue through dialogues. Health secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam said: "Meetings are being held to resolve the issue. We are hopeful that everything will be normal soon."

Senior officials of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital urged the agitating doctors to withdraw their cease work unless they will be marked as absent and action may also be taken against them.

Following the request of the hospital authorities, many interns and post graduate trainees have already joined services.

"Many PGTs and house staff have already joined duty in various departments which include gynecology, orthopedic and surgery. Services are becoming normal gradually," said Dr Prabir Mukherjee, a senior official of RG Kar after attending a meeting at Swasthya Bhawan.

"A meeting was held the main motto of which was to restore normalcy as early as possible. Those who are in permanent service have been given additional responsibilities. Lists have been made of all the agitating junior doctors which will be sent to the health department," Mukherjee added.

It was learnt that around 11 junior doctors decided to continue fasting and two of them have already fallen ill.

The agitation was started on October 9 with various demands. Now the junior doctors remain obstinate to their demand of the removal of the principal of the RG Kar Medical College.