Mass resignation: 50 senior doctors quit RG Kar hospital amid Kolkata rape-murder protest
- In Reports
- 04:18 PM, Oct 08, 2024
- Myind Staff
On Tuesday, 50 senior faculty members at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata resigned to support junior doctors-led demonstrations. In their resignation letter, the doctors expressed worry about the health of the junior doctors, who are currently on an indefinite hunger strike.
Their demand includes an immediate effect of talks be initiated with them by the government. ''We request the government to come into reconciliation with the protesting doctors and the ones who are sitting in indefinite hunger strike immediately,'' read the letter. The resignation letter further states, “We senior doctors of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital are giving mass resignation as the government seems to be oblivious of the deteriorating condition of the doctors on hunger strike and if the situation demands we will also go for individual resignation.”
With more medical professionals joining the protest, junior doctors' "fast-unto-death" calling for workplace safety and justice for the murdered woman of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital grew more intense. Aniket Mahato, a junior physician from RG Kar Hospital, joined six other senior medical professionals who were fasting on the second day of the indefinite hunger strike in the city's Esplanade area.
"Tonight, we have Aniket Mahato joining our colleagues in the hunger strike. This will definitely boost the morale of the others," said one of the agitating doctors, Debasish Halder. As one of the forum convenors, Dr. Punyabrata Gun stated, "We, from the Joint Platform of Doctors, declare that we will be left with no other choice but to join the indefinite hunger strike in solidarity with our juniors," demonstrating the growing resolve within the medical community.
Six other doctors, including Mahato, are participating in the indefinite fast: Arnab Mukhopadhyay from SSKM Hospital, Pulastha Acharya from NRS Medical College, Sayantani Ghosh Hazra from KPC Medical College, and Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja, and Anustup Mukhopadhyay from Kolkata Medical College and Hospital.
When things got heated, the junior doctors said that the Kolkata Police were stopping them from setting up bio-toilets at their protest location, which they thought was "unfortunate." CCTV cameras have also been installed at the dais in order to preserve transparency throughout their strike. The junior medics' indefinite hunger strike began on Saturday night after the state government failed to meet their demands within the allotted 24-hour period. Since then, a sizable contingent of supporters—among them some celebrities—have assembled at the protest location.
The demonstrators listed nine more demands in addition to justice for the murdered woman medic. These included the removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam immediately, accountability for alleged administrative errors, and the creation of a centralised referral system for hospitals. They also demanded that police presence in medical facilities be stepped up and that open positions be filled by medical professionals as soon as possible.
The doctors had previously been on a 42-day "cease work" after a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was raped and killed on August 9. After talks with state representatives, they called off their strike on September 21 and resumed providing necessary services.
However, following an attack by a patient's family at the state-run College of Medicine & Sagore Dutta Hospital the week before, the medics renewed their "cease work" on October 1. On Saturday, they began the "fast-unto-death" agitation after the state government failed to meet their demands.
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