Kolkata,: With the healthcare facilities in government hospitals virtually remaining crippled for the sixth day today as the indefinite cease work resorted to by junior doctors protesting assault on the medics at the NRS Hospital and a standoff persisted between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and strikers over the meeting venue, all eyes are now riveted on junior doctors’ general body meeting, now on progress.
With the agitating doctors on Saturday afternoon rejecting Ms Banerjee’s fresh offer for a meeting at Nabanna as they insisted the Chief Minister should come to NRS where the crime happened and cease work agitation began from Tuesday morning, the Nabanna was now willing to have a third party as mediator, maybe the Governor, or a neutral place, which could be agreeable to all.
The striking doctors have assembled at the NRS to attend the general body meeting this morning which may have some positive side for an amicable meeting between the striking doctors and the government.
On Saturday Chief Minister appealed to the striking medics to call off the agitation as the government conceded all the demands, including safety and security to medics in all the government hospitals.
Barring Emergency department, all the OPDs in the government hospitals virtually wore a deserted look owing to the cease work.
A report from Midnapore said the parents of a 3-day-old baby who died during the ongoing strike have staged a protest with the baby’s body before the agitating doctors.
The doctors across the nation stood in solidarity with their agitating colleagues in Kolkata.
Doctors of AIIMS Delhi on Saturday called off their protest and gave a 48-hour ultimatum to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to meet the demands of the protesting doctors.
In their ultimatum, the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) at AIIMS said that if the demands
of the West Bengal doctors are not met within 48 hours, they would be forced to resort to an indefinite strike at the Delhi hospital.
The AIIMS Delhi doctors would, however, continue to wear red-stained bandages and helmets as a sign of protest.
“AIIMS issues an ultimatum of 48-hours to the West Bengal government to meet the demands of the striking doctors there, failing which we would be forced to resort to an indefinite strike at AIIMS, New Delhi.We hope that our colleagues across the nation will join us in this hour of need,” the statement read.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also launched a three-day nationwide protest and called for a strike on June 17 with the demand of proper security of the doctors in all hospitals.
UNI.
