Junior doctors in West Bengal on Tuesday resumed total ‘cease work’ as they continue to protest over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The doctors have taken the decision to press the Mamata Banerjee government on various demands, including ensuring their safety and security at all medical establishments.
The decision was taken after a eight-hour long meeting of the junior doctors.
They have placed a set of 10 demands related to strengthening hospital security, improving health infrastructure and putting an end to threat culture and politics in hospitals.
In a statement, the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front said, “We are compelled to return to a full ceasework starting from today. Unless we receive clear action from the government on safety, patient services, and the politics of fear, we will have no choice but to continue our full strike.”
“We realized just how slow the CBI’s investigation is. We have seen many times before that the CBI has been unable to reach any conclusions, allowing the real culprits of such incidents to go free due to delays in filing charges, ” the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front added.
“The Supreme Court, which had taken the initiative to expedite the trial of this heinous incident, has instead only postponed hearings and reduced the actual length of proceedings. We are disappointed and angered by this protracted judicial process,” the Doctors further said.
The Junior Doctors say that the WB Govt has not responded to their demand of convening a meeting with a state task force.
“We have had discussions with the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary regarding our five demands. We reiterated our demands on Juty 26 and July 29, urging the Chief Secretary to quickly implement the government’s written directives. In those emails, we also requested the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting with a state task force that adequately represents junior doctors.
Unfortunately, the state government has not only failed to convene such a meeting but has also not responded to our letters,” the doctors stated.
“Fifty-two days have passed since August 9, yet what have we gained in terms of security? The CCTV cameras, which the state government promotes as the main indicator of safety, have only been installed in a fraction of the necessary locations in colleges over these 50 days,” the statement added.
The Junior doctors say it is imperative to include representation from their team in decision making committees of hospitals.
“We clearly communicated in our meeting with the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary, and also in emails, that we do not feel secure in this environment of fear. Without ensuring proper representation for junior doctors in decision-making committees of hospitals and medical colleges, the oppression by these declared leaders will continue,” the doctors’ association said.
“To prevent this, democratic elections must be held at all levels to ensure representation of students and junior doctors. We have demanded that elected representatives be included in all decision-making bodies, college,” the junior doctors added.
Meanwhile, following the Supreme Court’s cognisance of the photos of the RG Kar rape and murder victim circulating on social media, the victim’s father expressed his confidence in the top court to deliver justice.
“The Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the case and directed the state government to take action regarding my daughter’s pictures, which continue to spread on social media. We trust the Supreme Court and the CBI, and we hope that justice will be served,” the victim’s father told reporters.
In response, the Supreme Court reiterated its previous directive for all social media platforms to remove any posts disclosing the victim’s name and identity.
The Supreme Court clarified that its earlier order applies not only to Wikipedia but to all social media platforms, ensuring the protection of the victim’s identity. The court also noted that the CBI report highlighted how the victim’s injuries were exacerbated by her braces and glasses.
Senior Advocate Indira Jaisingh emphasised that the RG Kar incident was not merely a rape and murder case, revealing that four individuals were present at the crime scene, some of whom are elected council members.
After extensive deliberation, the Supreme Court adjourned the case for further hearing after the Dussehra vacation. The top court has taken suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal.