Kolkata doctor rape-murder: Another Junior Doctor Joins NBMCH Hunger Strike

Kolkata: Demanding justice for Abhaya and workplace safety for doctors, the indefinite hunger strike started by two junior doctors at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) entered its 10th day today with another junior doctor joining the strike on Monday.

These three doctors include- Aloke Kumar Verma and Souvik Banerjee, both postgraduate trainees and the third is Dr Sandeep Mandal, a second-year resident in the ENT department at NBMCH. 

Among the three, Verma and Banerjee tested positive for ketone, a sign of severe physical stress. While Verma's condition has worsened and he has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at NBMCH, Banerjee is also showing signs of deteriorating health but he is continuing the strike. 

Also read- Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: FEMA calls 2-day strike in Siliguri Medical Colleges

With the strike entering its 11th day, no resolution has yet been reached as a meeting between medics and the state government failed to resolve the deadlock and concerns have been growing regarding the deteriorating health condition of the doctors. 

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that after the West Bengal government invited various doctors’ associations for an emergency meeting to seek a resolution, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has decided to postpone its nationwide shutdown of elective services in hospitals in solidarity with the protesting junior doctors who are on indefinite hunger strike since October 5.

The hunger strike at NHMCH started on October 6, a day after six junior doctors of different government hospitals initiated fast-unto-death on October 5 demanding justice for the woman postgraduate trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 along with 9 other charter demands of the doctors. 

The junior doctors' primary demands include justice for the RG Kar Hospital victim, the immediate removal of Health Secretary N S Nigam, and improved workplace security, along with additional demands for a centralised hospital referral system, a bed vacancy monitoring system, and essential infrastructure like on-call rooms, CCTV, and proper washrooms.

In solidarity with the protesting junior doctors, senior doctors across the state, including those at NBMCH, have announced a 48-hour pen-down strike. This strike, organised by the Federation of Medical Association and the Indian Medical Association (IMA), is aimed at pressuring the state government to meet the junior doctors’ demands. The pen-down protest that started at 6 am on Monday will continue till 6 am on Wednesday though emergency services in both government and private hospitals will remain unaffected.

Expressing frustration at the lack of progress, Dr Mandal who recently joined the strike said, “The state government hasn’t even fulfilled our first demand for justice. We will continue the hunger strike until our demands are met.”

Shankha Sen, secretary of the IMA, told Millennium Post, “We want the juniors to withdraw their protest, but their demands are justified. These should be accepted. While senior doctors continue their protest, junior doctors at NBMCH are maintaining outpatient services (OPD)."

One more Junior doctor fell ill

One more junior doctor Tanaya Panja, who was on a fast-unto-death in the Esplanade area of Kolkata was admitted to a city hospital on Tuesday after falling at a makeshift washroom owing to continued starvation.

She became weak due to the fast since October 5 and was admitted to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital last night. She fell unconscious and was under constant observation by a medical board at the Critical Care Unit (CCU). Her condition was critical. 

Earlier, Pulastha Acharya, a junior doctor from NRS Medical College and Hospital, was admitted to the facility's Critical Care Unit (CCU) on Sunday night after complaining of severe stomach pain.

A crucial meeting between representatives from 12 doctors' associations and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant held at Swasthya Bhavan on Monday concluded without any resolution, reports PTI. 

After Monday's meeting with the doctors failed, Chief Secretary Pant told reporters the doctors insisted on a clear timeline to address their demands, but the government said no such deadline can be given. Seven out of the 10 demands raised by the junior doctors have already been addressed, while the remaining three required further administrative consideration, Pant said.

"For the remaining three demands, they were requesting specific timelines. These are administrative decisions that the state needs to consider, so we cannot provide a deadline at this point," Pant said.

Pant invited the Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) for further discussions at the state health department headquarters and urged them to call off their planned 'Droher Carnival' demonstration on October 15.

The JPD had announced the demonstration in solidarity with the junior doctors, but the government expressed concern that it would coincide with the state's annual 'Durga Puja Carnival.

Demanding a quick and transparent probe by the CBI into the alleged rape-murder at RG Kar hospital, agitating junior doctors on Monday evening took out a rally to Raj Bhawan and submitted a memorandum to the governor's secretary.

Presently, 5 junior medics in Kolkata and two in North Bengal are on fast-unto-death demanding justice for their colleague. Besides many senior doctors and medical faculties were on symbolic fast at Esplanade where their juniors were on fast since October 5.

Probationary order imposed

Meanwhile, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma on Monday night imposed a prohibitory order under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Surahkha Sanhita (BNNS) banning the assembly of persons more than five at the Dorina Crossing and Esplanade.

The police order was issued to ensure the West Bengal government proposed Immersion Carnival (Durga Idols immersion) through the Red Road. The Immersion Carnival is an annual programme after the Mamata Banerjee government came to power.

"It has come to the knowledge that some individuals and organisations planning to hold a protest styled as Droho Carnival on Rani RashMoni Avenue or its vicinity which is likely to disturb the Immersion carnival on Red Road and likely to cause large scale disturbance of public tranquillity and breach of Peace," a notification issued by the police commissioner said.

The immersion carnival starts around 3.30 pm and Mamata Banerjee will take part in the carnival.

As per a UNI news agency report, a junior doctor said their lawyers already challenged the ban order in the Calcutta High Court through an email to Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam last night, who has set up a single bench under Justice Ravikishan Kapoor, to hear the petition which is expected to be taken up at 2 pm.

The Joint Platform of Doctors Forum and West Bengal Junior Doctors Front have called to organise the Droho Carnival this afternoon to focus on the plight of the state health sector and create awareness of the public regarding the demands of the government hospitals to end the alleged corrupt practices in the health sector across the state.

Meanwhile, the majority of corporate and private hospitals and nursing homes across Kolkata began to cease work from 9 am for the next 48 hours to express solidarity with the government hospitals' medical fraternity. All the non-emergency services have been affected in the private hospitals.

Also read- Fast-unto-Death Protest: Junior doctor condition deteriorates, hospitalised