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West Bengal Junior Doctors Threaten Renewed Strike Following Hospital Attack

Thousands of junior doctors in West Bengal’s government hospitals are poised to resume their strike following a recent assault on medical staff at Sagore Dutta Medical College and Hospital (MCH). The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front is awaiting a Supreme Court hearing on September 30th, and will proceed with a complete cease-work if the situation doesn’t improve. This follows a 42-day strike in August, partially called off on September 21st after the rape of a resident doctor at R.G. Kar MCH.

Assault at Sagore Dutta MCH and Unfulfilled Demands

The latest incident involved an alleged assault on doctors and staff by relatives of a deceased patient at Sagore Dutta MCH. While arrests have been made and security increased, junior doctors express dissatisfaction with the lack of substantial change since the August 9th murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar MCH. On September 28th, they sent a letter to the Chief Secretary reiterating unfulfilled demands, despite a verbal agreement on September 18th. The state government has allocated ₹100 crore for hospital security and launched the ‘Ratrir Sathi’ initiative, but doctors remain unconvinced.

Political Interference and Public Reaction

The protest at Sagore Dutta MCH saw junior doctors rejecting visits from political representatives, including West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir ignited controversy by threatening to organize a large-scale protest against the junior doctors at Murshidabad MCH, highlighting the public’s frustration with the ongoing disruptions to healthcare services. The Kolkata Police Commissioner’s visit to R.G. Kar MCH ahead of the Supreme Court hearing underscores the gravity of the situation.

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Published – September 29, 2024 10:02 pm IST