RG Kar case: Junior doctors call off protest partially in wake of floods 

Kolkata, Sep 19 (IANS) West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), the umbrella body spearheading the protest demonstrations against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last month, has decided to join back duty but only in the General Emergency Departments in different medical colleges & hospitals from Saturday.

WBJDF has also announced that they will be participating in the medical camps to be opened by the state government amid the looming health crisis in the wake of the post-flood situation in the state.

“However, barring the General Emergency Department and medical camps we will not be rejoining duty in any other department,” confirmed a protesting junior doctor.

WBJDF representative Dr Aniket Mahato also informed the media persons that their sit-in protests in front of Swastha Bhavan, the state health department headquarters at Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata will be lifted on Friday afternoon.

He said that on Friday afternoon, WBJDF will be organising a rally from Swastha Bhavan, to the CBI office at the CGO complex also in Salt Lake, demanding the central agency promptly complete its ongoing investigation in the rape and murder case.

“We will demand from the CBI that they ensure justice for the victim at the earliest by pinpointing the culprits,” Mahato said.

However, the protesting junior doctors made it clear that the partial calling off of the cease-work might be temporary and it would be resumed if their demands which the state government has claimed to have accepted are not fulfilled on paper.

The decision comes in the wake of a note issued from the office of Chief Secretary Manoj Pant announcing that a security audit will be conducted at all medical colleges & hospitals in the state.

In the note, it was also claimed that police and security personnel along with female personnel will be deployed in every healthcare facility in consultation with the state home department.

It has also been decided that immediate steps should be taken to fill up vacant posts of doctors, nurses and GDAs technicians, among others.

“A robust grievance redressal system should be developed to address promptly the grievances and complaints of all the stakeholders including patient & patient parties,” the note read.

--IANS

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