Bengal: Agitating junior doctors withdraw hunger strike after meeting with CM Mamata
PTI
Agitating junior doctors on Monday evening withdrew their weeks-long hunger strike over the RG Kar incident, hours after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The medics also called off their proposed shutdown in the state's health sector that was scheduled to begin today. "In today's meeting (with the CM), we did get the assurance of some directives, but the body language of the state government was not positive... The common people have wholeheartedly supported us. They, as well as the parents of our deceased sister (RG Kar hospital victim), have been requesting us to call off the hunger strike, keeping in mind our deteriorating health.
"We are therefore withdrawing our 'fast-unto-death' and also Tuesday's total shutdown in the health sector, but this is not a result of today's meeting but because the request came from the common people and the parents of Abhaya," said Debashish Halder, one of the junior medics. However he said that on Saturday, the junior doctors would hold a mass convention on their various demands. The decision was taken following a general body meeting of the doctors.
Earlier in the day, a 17-member delegation of the medics met Banerjee at the state secretariat and discussed various issues, including the prevailing "threat culture" in hospitals, justice for their deceased colleague and systemic changes in the state's healthcare infrastructure. The junior doctors initiated a 'cease-work' on August 9 following the alleged rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Hospital, and the hunger strike began on October 5 after nearly 50 days of 'cease-work' in two phases.
The medics also called off their proposed shutdown in the state's health sector that was scheduled to begin today. "In today's meeting (with the CM), we did get the assurance of some directives, but the body language of the state government was not positive... The common people have wholeheartedly supported us. They, as well as the parents of our deceased sister (RG Kar hospital victim), have been requesting us to call off the hunger strike, keeping in mind our deteriorating health.
"We are therefore withdrawing our 'fast-unto-death' and also Tuesday's total shutdown in the health sector, but this is not a result of today's meeting but because the request came from the common people and the parents of Abhaya," said Debashish Halder, one of the junior medics. However he said that on Saturday, the junior doctors would hold a mass convention on their various demands. The decision was taken following a general body meeting of the doctors.
Earlier in the day, a 17-member delegation of the medics met Banerjee at the state secretariat and discussed various issues, including the prevailing "threat culture" in hospitals, justice for their deceased colleague and systemic changes in the state's healthcare infrastructure. The junior doctors initiated a 'cease-work' on August 9 following the alleged rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Hospital, and the hunger strike began on October 5 after nearly 50 days of 'cease-work' in two phases.