Junior doctors in West Bengal called off their hunger strike on Monday late evening after the parents of the girl student of RG Kar Medical College appealed to them to go back to work. They also canceled health a strike that was planned for Tuesday.
In a 90 minutes general body meeting which was held at Esplanade protest site, the doctors decided to withdraw back from protest but declared that they will continue their protest to seek justice and safe health care.
In the morning, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met 17 junior doctors as well as senior doctors to discuss the issue. In a statement, Banerjee said that a state-level committee would be constituted which would include four junior doctors, one of whom is female medical student and state government officials. The task force will therefore deal with complaints in relation to government medical colleges and hospitals.
It also assured student union elections by March 2025 and appealed to the doctors to resume work. “You have a future and exams. Why should you suffer? She said, however: “Please withdraw the hunger strike.”
Despite their grievances the doctors protested by voicing their displeasure of the administration’s attitude during the meeting the parents convinced the doctors to stop the protest. On the other hand, the state government broadcasted the meeting through the internet without any permission from the doctors.
The Junior Doctors’ Front has demanded a shutdown of all activities at RG Kar Medical College and demanded the fixing of a mass convention on that Saturday in order to continue to fight for justice and better conditions to work under.
