![[Kolkata Rape & Murder Case] "We Are Submitting Mass Resignation Due to Government's Inaction on Doctors' Hunger Strike": 50 Senior Doctors Resign from RG Kar Hospital Amid Protest](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/shared-image-2.jpg?fit=820%2C413&ssl=1)
Today, On 8th October, In Kolkata, 50 senior doctors from RG Kar Hospital have resigned in solidarity with junior doctors protesting over a rape and murder case. The mass resignation reflects growing unrest within the medical community. The junior doctors have been voicing concerns over safety and justice in the wake of the incident, prompting the senior faculty to join their protest.
![[Kolkata Rape & Murder Case] "We Are Submitting Mass Resignation Due to Government's Inaction on Doctors' Hunger Strike": 50 Senior Doctors Resign from RG Kar Hospital Amid Protest](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image-10-1.png?resize=820%2C461&ssl=1)
Kolkata: A mass resignation occurred at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday, with 50 senior faculty members stepping down in solidarity with the junior doctors’ protest.
In their resignation letter, the senior doctors voiced their concern over the deteriorating health of the protesting doctors, who are on an indefinite hunger strike.
They urged the government to immediately engage in dialogue with the striking doctors.
The letter stated,
“We request the government to come into reconciliation with the protesting doctors and the ones who are sitting in indefinite hunger strike immediately,”
The letter further read,
“We senior doctors of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital are submitting our mass resignation as the government seems to be oblivious of the deteriorating condition of the doctors on hunger strike. If the situation demands, we will also proceed with individual resignations.”
The junior doctors‘ hunger strike, part of their demand for justice for the murdered woman medic from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and for improved workplace safety, has escalated as more healthcare professionals joined the protest. On the second day of the hunger strike, Aniket Mahato, a junior doctor from RG Kar Hospital, joined six other fasting senior medics in the Esplanade area of Kolkata.
One of the protesting doctors Debasish Halder, said,
“Tonight, we have Aniket Mahato joining our colleagues in the hunger strike. This will certainly boost the morale of the others,”
Dr. Punyabrata Gun, a convenor of the Joint Platform of Doctors, expressed growing support among the medical community, stating,
“We, from the Joint Platform of Doctors, declare that we will be left with no other choice but to join the indefinite hunger strike in solidarity with our juniors.”
In addition to Mahato, six other doctors participating in the hunger strike include Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja, and Anustup Mukhopadhyay from Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, Arnab Mukhopadhyay from SSKM Hospital, Pulastha Acharya from NRS Medical College, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra from KPC Medical College.
As tensions rose, the junior doctors accused Kolkata Police of blocking their attempts to install bio-toilets at the protest site, which they described as “unfortunate.” To ensure transparency during the protest, they also installed CCTV cameras at the site.
The hunger strike began on Saturday night after the state government failed to meet the 24-hour deadline set by the protesters for addressing their demands. Since then, many supporters, including celebrities, have gathered at the protest site.
Beyond seeking justice for the murdered woman medic, the protesters presented nine additional demands, including the immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam, accountability for administrative failures, a centralized hospital referral system, enhanced police protection in healthcare settings, and the swift appointment of medical staff to fill vacant positions.
Previously, the doctors had engaged in a 42-day ‘cease work’ following the rape and murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. After talks with state officials, they resumed essential services on September 21.
However, the doctors resumed their ‘cease work’ on October 1 after an attack by a patient’s family at the state-run College of Medicine & Sagore Dutta Hospital, and they launched the ‘fast-unto-death’ protest on Saturday when their demands were not fulfilled by the government.
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