Healthcare services crippled as doctors continue ceasework

KOLKATA, Aug 23: Healthcare services were severely hit at state-run hospitals in West Bengal on Friday as junior doctors continued their ceasework for the 15th consecutive day to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here.
They decided to continue the stir despite the Supreme Court’s appeal to them to resume work.
“Our protest will continue till we see the culprits punished. We are not here for anything else. We cannot call off the demonstration suddenly unless our demand is fulfilled,” an agitating doctor at the RGKMCH told mediapersons.
The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated its appeal to the doctors protesting over the rape and killing of the medic to resume work and directed that no coercive action would be taken against them.
The court said judges and doctors cannot strike since they deal with matters involving life and liberty.
The flow of patients at the different government hospitals seemed to dry up as the ceasework by junior doctors continued.
Apart from demanding justice for the woman medic, the junior doctors have been pressing for the removal of several officials in the RGKMCH’s administration.
The state government had transferred three officials of the RGKMCH and cancelled the posting of the hospital’s former principal Sandip Ghosh to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CNMC).
Resident doctors in Delhi resume work
In a major relief for patients, hundreds of resident doctors here returned to work on Friday after ending their 11-day strike over the alleged rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata, following an appeal by the Supreme Court.
The doctors’ association met with Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj in the afternoon at the Secretariat and various issues faced by them.After the meeting, the minister said he discussed with the doctors the issues they raised and soon, a letter would be sent to the central government regarding these.Resident doctors, including those of the Centre-run AIIMS, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Delhi government-run LNJP, Maulana Azad Medical College, GTB Hospital and Indira Gandhi Hospital, resumed duties after two national bodies announced the end of the strike on Thursday evening. (PTI)