Junior doctors in West Bengal have been on a hunger strike for 16 days, demanding justice for a colleague who was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital. Despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s appeal to end the strike, the doctors remain firm in their protest.
The chief minister invited the doctors for talks on Monday at the state secretariat, Nabanna, but only if they end the hunger strike. Banerjee stated that many of their demands had been addressed, though she refused to remove the state Health Secretary, which is a key demand from Junior doctors.
Six doctors have already been hospitalized due to their deteriorating health, while eight others continue their indefinite fast. The doctors are also pushing for broader reforms in the healthcare system, threatening to escalate their protest if the government does not take constructive action by Monday.
Banerjee, while acknowledging the doctors’ right to protest, emphasized that healthcare services should not be disrupted, stating, “People are dependent on you for treatment. These are your just demands, but you should serve the people.”
The doctors plan to hold a rally on Sunday and have called for a state-wide medical strike on Tuesday if their demands are not met. One doctor remarked, “We will not withdraw the fast till all our demands are met,” adding that while some are fasting, other junior doctors continue to work. The hunger strike follows a cease-work movement that began in August after the incident.