West Bengal junior doctors resume strike, claim safety demands have not been met
The medics also sought improvements to healthcare infrastructure and an end to political interference in running hospitals in the state.
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The junior doctors in West Bengal protesting against the rape and murder of their colleague resumed their strike on Tuesday, demanding that the state government address their demand for improved safety measures in medical institutions, the Hindustan Times reported.
Their agitation began in response to the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
The doctors said that they had been forced to resume their “cease work” protest indefinitely as the state’s Trinamool Congress government had not taken steps to address their safety concerns.
They reiterated their demands, including improvements to health infrastructure and ending political interference in running hospitals.
For more than 40 days after August 9, the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front led protests demanding the resignation of several senior officials and an end to the “threat culture” in West Bengal’s medical centres.
On September 21, the junior medics partially withdrew their strike and resumed duties in essential and emergency services at government-run hospitals. Their work in outpatient departments, however, remained suspended.
The partial withdrawal of the strike came after several rounds of talks with the state government.
The state government had on September 17 accepted a key demand of the protestors and announced the removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Abhishek...
