Kolkata: Junior doctors of Bengal, protesting against the rape and murder of their colleague at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital have ended their sit-in at the health department’s offices, Swasthya Bhavan, with a march to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s offices today.
After 42 days of a strike that shook the Mamata Banerjee government, junior doctors in Bengal announced late on September 19 that they would resume essential services in hospitals from September 21.
However, this decision comes with a caveat. The doctors have said that they would initiate a total cease-work once again if the government does not implement measures for safety at hospitals in seven days – as directed by the Supreme Court as well.
The doctors’ demands centre around the formation of specialised bodies in each hospital, greater security and safety and a more robust grievance redressal system.
A 42-kilometre citizens’ march with torches is currently afoot in Kolkata, across the length of the city.
Kalatan Dasgupta, a leader of DYFI, the Left group, who had been arrested two weeks ago in connection with what Kolkata Police claimed was an audio recording of a phone call in which violence was being planned, was released on bail today. A day ago, the Calcutta high court had granted Dasgupta bail and restrained police from taking any coercive action against the DYFI.
Meanwhile, the CBI, which is investigating both the murder and the case of financial irregularities against R.G. Kar administration, has moved court to conduct polygraph tests on Tala police station – within the jurisdiction of which the hospital falls – former officer-in-charge, Abhijit Mondal. Mondal was arrested in connection with the alleged tampering of evidence at the hospital. Mondal was suspended from the police force after his arrest.
Banerjee’s government has made key changes to the police brass in response to the doctors’ demand.
Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal, for one, was replaced by the former additional director general of law and order, Manoj Verma.
