Junior doctors in West Bengal have continued their hunger strike for the 10th day, with one medic hospitalized due to severe stomach pain. They are demanding justice for a victim, the removal of the Health Secretary, and better security and facilities in hospitals. Despite authorities urging them to end the strike, the protest persists. The situation raised concerns about the impact on healthcare services.
Kolkata: The “fast-unto-death” protest by junior doctors in West Bengal continued into its 10th day on Monday, as another doctor to be hospitalized after his condition worsened, officials reported. Pulastha Acharya, from NRS Medical College and Hospital, admitted on Sunday night after experiencing severe stomach pain.
A senior doctor from NRS Medical College stated,
“Pulastha is currently in the CCU, and his health parameters have deteriorated. A medical board has been formed to oversee his treatment,”
Earlier, three other junior doctors participating in the hunger strike in Kolkata and Siliguri had also been hospitalized due to health concerns.
Chief Secretary Manoj Pant wrote to the Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) on Sunday, urging them to call off their planned demonstration on October 15, as it coincides with the state government’s annual ‘Durga Pujo Carnival.’
He also invited the JPD for a meeting at Swasthya Bhawan, the state health department headquarters, on Monday to discuss their demands.
In his email, Pant requested that the JPD advise junior doctors to end their hunger strike, citing concerns for their health and well-being.
The junior doctors are demanding justice for the victim in the RG Kar hospital case, the immediate removal of Health Secretary N S Nigam, enhanced workplace security, and other measures.
Their additional demands include a centralised referral system for all state hospitals and medical colleges, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure the provision of essentials like CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
The hunger strike, which began on October 5, followed nearly 50 days of ‘cease work’ in two phases. The protests were sparked by the rape and murder of an on-duty postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.