Impasse continues as protesting doctors snub Mamata's talks offer

Kolkata, Sep 10 (IANS) The junior doctors currently holding a sit-in in front of Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the West Bengal Health Department in Salt Lake near here, condemning the R.G. Kar rape and murder case, have ignored a call given by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to come to the state Secretariat Nabanna and discuss their demands with her. 

The protesters, including senior and junior doctors, medical students and members of the nursing community, have made it clear that their sit-in will continue unless their main demands are met, which include suspension of the Health Secretary, Director of Health Services, and the Director of Medical Education.

Earlier in the day, an email was sent to the protesting medics from the office of Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam, inviting a small delegation to the state Secretariat for a meeting with the Chief Minister in the presence of the Health Secretary and the newly-appointed Chief Secretary of the state, Manoj Pant.

In the email, it was also mentioned that the Chief Minister will wait at Nabanna till 7 p.m. on Tuesday for the delegation to come.

As per the latest information available, the Chief Minister waited till 7.30 p.m. and thereafter left the premises on receiving no response about the arrival of the junior doctors' delegation.

The junior doctors at the sit-in site, however, claimed that they found the email sent by the Health Secretary's office 'insulting'.

“One of our main demands is the suspension of Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam. Yet, the email for a meeting on our demands came from the same Health Secretary's office, which is insulting," said a protesting junior doctor.

On Monday, the Supreme Court had said that doctors in West Bengal protesting against the R.G. Kar rape-murder must resume their duties by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, failing which the state government will be authorised to initiate disciplinary action against them.

However, unnerved by the Supreme Court ultimatum, hours later the junior doctors vowed to continue their agitation and gave a call to march to the Swasthya Bhavan on Tuesday afternoon.

--IANS

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