Finally, the junior doctors of West Bengal have agreed to partially suspend their 42-days old cease-work agitation, launched following the horrific rape and murder of a post graduate intern in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, from Saturday following an appeal by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the wake of the flood situation in several districts of South Bengal.
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The agitating doctors will however initially restore only “essential services” like attending to emergencies and non-planned operation theatre (OT) duties, as well as organise “Abhaya medical camps” in the memory of the rape and murder victim doctor in the flood-affected areas of the state.
Still sceptical about timebound implementation of measures promised by the state government for the safety and security of doctors, especially female doctors, at workplaces in government hospitals across the state, the doctors for the present have held back on reporting for duties in outpatient departments (OPDs) and OTs for planned surgeries, preferring to wait and watch the government’s actions and what transpires in the next date of hearing of the matter in the Supreme Court on September 27.
They have cautioned the state government that their fight to secure justice for ‘Abhaya’ has not ended, and in the event of unsatisfactory implementation of the agreed upon demands or non-acceptance of their other pending demands, most importantly the removal of the state principal secretary health, they will resume the complete cease-work agitation with a renewed resolve.
On Friday, the 10-day long sit-in outside Swasthya Bhawan was ended and doctors, along with citizens and civil society groups supporting their cause, organised a long march to the Kolkata office of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the ‘Abhaya’ rape and murder case on the directions of the Calcutta High Court, demanding speedy investigation and early justice to the victim doctor.
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The cease-work agitation, launched after the rape and murder at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital came to light on August 9, has crippling state-run healthcare delivery across the state and rattled the Mamata government amid creditable allegations of large scale cover up by the hospital and state government authorities.
The main accused in the rape and murder, Sanjay Roy, a Kolkata Police civic volunteer, was arrested by the Kolkata police. But subsequently, the CBI has arrested the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital at the time of the incident, Sandip Ghosh, and then office in-charge of Tala police station, Abhijit Mondal, for allegedly tampering with evidence in connection with the case.
Following a vociferous demand by the agitating doctors, the state government recently also shunted out Kolkata Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal, Director of Health Services (DHS) Debashis Halder, Director of Medical Education (DME) Kaustav Nayak, and Kolkata Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Division) Abhishek Gupta from their positions.
Some of the directives issued by the West Bengal chief secretary to the principal secretary health after the state government accepted a bulk of the demands placed by the agitating doctors:
- Adequate availability of on-duty rooms, washrooms, CCTVs, drinking water facilities should be ensured at the healthcare facilities. “Works in this connection must be completed as early as possible.”
- All committees, including an internal complaints committee, “should be made fully functional by the department”.
- A centralised referral system should be operationalised as early as possible.
- A centralised helpline number should be implemented to ensure the safety and security of healthcare personnel.
- A real-time bed availability information system, a “robust” grievance redress system, and adequate deployment of police, including policewomen, at all hospitals should be ensured.
