“Like your elder Didi…”: Mamata Banerjee urges protesting doctors to call off hunger strike, invites them for talks on Monday; Junior Doctors want clarity on the fulfilment of their 10 point demands

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday reached out to the fasting junior doctors, assured them of student union elections in three to four months and also invited them along with other protesting doctors for fresh round of talks at Nabanna, the state secretariat on Monday in order to end the two month long impasse, since the horrific rape and murder of the 31 year old RG Kar medical student. 

This came a day after the doctors from both private and government hospitals across West Bengal, threatened to go on a health-strike on Tuesday if the state government failed to to meet the 10 point demands of the junior doctors. The Chief Minister also urged the junior doctors on a hunger strike to withdraw their fast. 

“I am not reaching out to you all in any other capacity but as your elder sister, I urge you all to call off the strike. I have met most of your demands, allow me some time for the elections. There’s a procedure for that. I am asking for three to four months and not even six months. I invite your 10 representatives for talks on Monday, in case you want to come early then I will reschedule my other appointments, or else we can meet at 5 pm”, said Mamata Banerjee over phone to the junior doctors as state Chief Secretary, Dr. Manoj Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakravorty went and met with the protesting doctors camping at the Dharmatala site for the past 14 days. 

“The hunger strike will end when the state government meets our demands,” Dr Parichay Panda, one of the junior doctors who joined the hunger strike on October 11, told the chief minister over phone. Other doctors echoed similar sentiments. “You are like our guardian. If you think that a solution is possible, only then the impasse will end. We have made certain demands and they are legitimate. Unless the demands are met, the hunger strike would continue”, said Dr Aqeeb. 

At present seven junior doctors are holding a fast-unto-death in Kolkata while one medic is holding a hunger strike in north Bengal. At least six doctors fell ill over the past one week during their course of fast-unto- death agitation and had to be admitted to hospitals.

The junior doctors have placed a set of 10 demands before the government, including upgraded security at government hospitals, removal of state health secretary, a centralised referral system, digital bed vacancy monitors in all hospitals, task forces in every medical colleges with elected representation of junior doctors, deployment of police in hospitals, filling up of vacancies in hospitals, holding election of student councils, college-level enquiry committees to probe into allegations of threat culture and probe into the alleged corruption in the state medical council. While the state government has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court listing out their work status, claiming that most of their mandated works have been completed by almost 90-95 percent. 

The Supreme Court, last Tuesday (October 15), had refused to entertain any application seeking clarity on student council elections, even after being raised by their counsel Sr Advocate Indira Jaising. The Apex court had rather advised to withdraw application and seek redressal from the High Court, if needed.