RG Kar issue: Junior doctors fast-unto-death enters 12th day

Kolkata: Agitating junior doctors continued their fast-unto-death for the 12th consecutive day on Wednesday demanding justice for the deceased woman colleague of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and workplace security.

Sourav Dutta of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, fasting since October 5 was hospitalised on Tuesday evening and is being treated at the CCU of the hospital in Jalpaiguri while Spandan Chowdhury and Rumelika Kumar joined the hunger strike on Tuesday.

Claiming that Tuesday’s ‘Droher Carnival’ was “successful” in bringing more people, from all walks of life, together to match their voice to demand for justice besides safety and security for them, junior medics on Wednesday opined to increase the heat of their ongoing protest.

“Yesterday the world saw how people are keen on getting justice. We are happy to see that so many people especially common man are with us for this noble cause… this is giving us the zeal to keep on with our fight. We will make it stronger from now on to make the administration realise that we are not out of energy,” Debashish Halder, one of the agitating doctors told PTI.

The health conditions of the other medics, who are on fast-unto-death, were also deteriorating, he said.

“We are keeping things ready to address the situation if anyone falls more sick. We are ready to give life for our colleagues,” he added.

The protesting doctors have been demanding justice for the deceased woman medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and immediate removal of state Health secretary NS Nigam.

Their other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.

They are also demanding increased police protection in hospitals, recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.

The junior doctors went on a ‘cease-work’ following the rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government to look into their demands.