Junior doctors in West Bengal call off week-long strike after Mamata Banerjee accepts demands

Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal on Monday called off their week-long strike after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accepted all their demands.  

The decision to call off the strike was taken after Banerjee asked the police to appoint nodal officers for the security of doctors at all government hospitals in the state. She said this in meeting with a delegation of 30 doctors at Nobanno. The delegation came to meet the Chief Minister after the official confirmation of live media coverage of the discussion. 

"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the CM. After an enormous movement, the meeting and discussions with our CM met a logical end. Considering everything we expect the govt to solve the issues as discussed in due time," junior doctors said. 

"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all seniors, juniors, patients, common people, intelligentsia and medical fraternity of the country who spontaneously extended their support&made this movement possible. We hope to maintain this unity in future," junior doctors added. 

West Bengal health secretary, MoS Chandrima Bhattacharya and other state officials were present in the meeting. The delegation apprised Banerjee of the problems they have been facing at medical colleges and hospitals and said they fear for their safety.

Banerjee told the striking doctors that no doctor has been booked by the state government.

The representatives of the joint forum of junior doctors also sought exemplary punishment for those involved in assault on doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital on June 11.

Banerjee also directed formation of grievance redressal units in all state-run hospitals as proposed by the junior doctors. She said the state government has taken adequate measures and arrested five people involved in NRS incident.

Meanwhile, the plight of the patients compounded on Monday, the seventh day of the protests, with private hospitals also facing the brunt.

Outpatient Departments of private hospitals were shut in response to the Indian Medical Association's call to withdraw nonessential health services, to show solidarity towards the junior doctors' protest.

"Most of the doctors have taken leave. Only a few doctors attended to patients. Patient turnout was also low," a senior official of a private hospital on the EM Bypass told PTI.

RN Tagore Hospital, Peerless Hospital, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital and Calcutta Medical Research Institute also presented a similar picture.

Junior doctors across the state are protesting against an assault on two of their colleagues, at the NRS Medical College and Hospital here, allegedly by the family members of a patient who died last week.

With PTI Inputs