Kolkata: Junior doctors across medical colleges and hospitals in West Bengal have announced a complete strike, citing a lack of progress in addressing their demands. After an eight-hour-long General Body (GB) meeting held late into Monday night, the doctors decided to go on strike starting Tuesday, with a 10-point charter of demands.
This decision follows their earlier warning of a possible strike, which they had issued after last Saturday’s GB meeting. The doctors returned to discussions after a Supreme Court hearing on Monday, which included the recent incident at Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital, where a doctor was assaulted. The junior doctors argue that while the state government has promised security, it has failed to provide tangible assurances. As a result, they have called for the strike to continue until their demands are met.
Key Demands of the Junior Doctors:
- Immediate justice for the assaulted doctor
- Removal of the state health secretary
- Increased police security in all hospitals
- Implementation of a centralized referral system in all government hospitals
- Introduction of a monitoring system for vacant hospital beds
- Student union elections in medical colleges
- Filling up vacant positions in hospitals
- Action against those involved in the culture of threats and intimidation
- Installation of CCTV cameras in all hospitals by forming task forces
- Provision of panic buttons in hospitals
During the Supreme Court hearing, the case of the recent incident at Sagar Dutta Medical College was raised. The state’s counsel argued that a patient had died due to lack of treatment, a claim that junior doctors’ lawyer, Indira Jaising, denied. In response to the Chief Justice’s question regarding the doctors’ participation in emergency services, Jaising confirmed that the doctors had resumed providing emergency care. However, the Chief Justice stressed that the doctors must also return to outpatient (OPD) and inpatient (IPD) services.
Despite this directive, the junior doctors have chosen to continue their strike until further notice.