Abhishek Banerjee Urges Kolkata Doctors to End Strike, Focus on Safety Measures

Abhishek Banerjee urges Kolkata doctors to end strike, work with government on improving hospital safety

The West Bengal Junior Doctors Front is protesting after a doctor was raped and murdered at a hospital in Kolkata. They have sent an email to the state Chief Secretary asking for another meeting because some of their demands have not been fully met. 

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On September 17, the West Bengal government agreed to some of the doctors’ demands after a meeting. They decided to remove the police chief of Kolkata and two senior health officials from their positions. 

The Junior Doctors Front said in a press release that there have been efforts to politicize their cause and spread false claims about their motives. They accused others of trying to divide them and damage their movement through misleading information. The doctors had a long discussion with the Chief Minister, during which they talked about their five main demands. Some of these demands were partially met, but not all.

The doctors also criticized a new law called the Aparajita Act, which proposes ending night shifts for doctors. They argued that this law, by limiting night shifts and restricting the length of day shifts, is based on outdated and sexist ideas. They believe it creates unfair distinctions between men and women and does not truly enhance women’s safety.

As a result of the meeting with the doctors, several key officials have been removed from their posts. Dr. Kaustav Nayak and Dr. Debashis Halder were removed from their roles as Director of Medical Education and Director of Health Services. Also removed were Dr. Suparna Dutta, Director of the Institute of Health and Family Welfare, and Dr. Swapan Soren, Joint Director of Health Services.

According to a government notification, Dr. Nayak will now lead the Institute of Health and Family Welfare, while Dr. Halder will become an Officer on Special Duty for Public Health. 

The protest started after the body of a 31-year-old doctor was found at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Since then, thousands of junior doctors in West Bengal have been on strike.

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