West Bengal Junior Doctors Call Off Cease Work, Warn of Indefinite Hunger Strike if Demands are not met Within 24 Hours

The protesting junior doctors of the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front called off their total cease work on Friday evening but warned of an indefinite hunger strike if the state government doesn’t fulfill their ten-fold demands within 24 hours. "We are calling off our 'total cease work'. But we will continue our sit-in protest. We will give the state administration 24 hours to fulfill our demands or else we will start a hunger strike till death,” said Dr Debashish Halder.

Despite ending their cease work, the junior doctors continued their sit-in protest in central Kolkata throughout the night. They allege that the police physically assaulted one of the junior doctors before the rally advocating for justice for a deceased woman doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital reached Dharmatala. "When you are fighting for a significant cause, you cannot expect things to be easy. We anticipated better treatment from the state government. The lathi charge and the verbal abuse from police were both unnecessary, and we demand an apology,” said Dr Debashish Halder.

Medics from RG Kar Medical College, along with their colleagues from various hospitals, joined the ongoing protests, emphasizing their commitment to securing justice for the fallen doctor. "It's time for the state to respond and show that they are genuinely eager to resolve this issue. The clock is ticking for them,” said Dr Aniket Mahato.

The junior doctors have outlined nine key demands, which include the immediate removal of state Health Secretary N. S. Nigam and accountability for alleged corruption within the health department. Other demands call for the establishment of a centralized referral system for hospitals, implementation of a digital bed vacancy monitoring system, and improved provisions for essential facilities like CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms. Additionally, the doctors are advocating for increased police protection in hospitals, the hiring of permanent female police personnel, and the urgent filling of vacant healthcare positions.

"Elections for student councils must be conducted immediately in every medical college. All colleges must recognize the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), and elected representation of students and junior doctors must be ensured in all committees managing colleges and hospitals,” said Dr Debashish Halder.

The junior doctors are demanding an immediate inquiry into alleged corruption and lawlessness within the West Bengal Medical Council and the West Bengal Health Recruitment Board. Their protest follows a recent escalation of tensions, which included a prior "cease work" that began on October 1 after an attack on medics by a patient's family. Previously, the junior doctors engaged in a 42-day complete "cease work" following the tragic rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College on August 9, which they ended on September 21 after discussions with state officials.​