Kolkata junior doctors continue hunger strike, demanding justice, workplace safety

KOLKATA, OCTOBER 6: Junior doctors protesting for justice over the death of a female colleague from Kar Medical College and Hospital, along with demands for improved workplace safety, continued their hunger strike until death on Sunday at Dharmatala in central Kolkata.

The hunger strike, which began on Saturday night, followed the State Government’s failure to meet the doctors’ demands by an 8:30 p.m. deadline. Several senior doctors, who have been present at the protest site since Saturday night, are also considering joining their junior counterparts in the strike.

“The support of these people gives us the courage, the enthusiasm to continue our protest against the gruesome murder of our sister. We are happy to see that people have not forgotten that justice is yet to be served, and attacks on doctors continue while the State Government takes no serious note of our demands”, said Debasish Halder, one of the protesting doctors.

The protestors had previously launched a sit-in demonstration at the Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala on Friday after an alleged assault by Kolkata Police personnel. To ensure transparency during the protest, the junior doctors have installed CCTV cameras at the dais where their colleagues are holding the hunger strike.

Six doctors participating in the fast were identified as Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja, and Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, Arnab Mukhopadhyay from SSKM Hospital, Pulastha Acharya of NRS Medical College and Hospital, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra of KPC Medical College. The junior doctors warned that the State would be held accountable if any of their colleagues fell ill during the hunger strike.

A large number of supporters, including several celebrities, have gathered at the protest site since Saturday night, showing solidarity with the doctors.

On Friday, the junior doctors had ended their “total cease work” which had severely affected healthcare services at State-run medical colleges and hospitals. However, they emphasised that seeking justice for the murdered female medic remained their top priority.

The doctors’ 9 additional demands include the immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam and accountability for alleged administrative incompetence and corruption in the Health Department. Other demands are the establishment of a centralised referral system for hospitals and medical colleges, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system and the creation of task forces to ensure essential provisions such as CCTV, on-call rooms and washrooms at their workplaces.

They are also calling for increased police protection in hospitals, recruitment of permanent female police personnel and the swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff.

The protests began following the rape and murder of a female medic at Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The junior doctors had suspended their strike after 42 days on September 21, following assurances from the State GFovernment that their demands would be addressed. (PTI)