No live telecast, 15-member delegation to meet CM: Bengal Govt invites protesting Junior Doctors

Kolkata: Refusing to allow a 30-member delegation and a live telecast, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant sent a fresh communique to the protesting junior doctors inviting a 15-member delegation to the state secretariat Nabanna by 5 p.m. on Thursday. 

In the fresh communique, the Chief Secretary has overruled two important conditions of the junior doctors to attend the meeting, the first relating to a 30-member delegation and the second was the demand for a live telecast of the proposed meeting. 

Instead of the two points demanded by the doctors, the state government has offered that only 15 delegates would be allowed and they could record the proceedings of the meeting. 

However, the protesting junior doctors have stated that they will go with 30-member delegation for meeting with Bengal govt instead of 15 and hold a live telecast. 

Also read- RG Kar Hospital Protests: Junior Doctors seek live telecasted talks with State Govt, Continue stir

The protesters had earlier demanded that a 30-member team be allowed to meet CM Mamata. However, the government on Wednesday said it would allow only 12-13 members. Following this the junior doctors continued their dharna for the third day on Thursday near the state’s health department headquarters in Salt Lake. Today, the governmnet has relented to allow 15 members.

While the foremost demand of the protesters is ensuring the safety of women health workers in Bengal, they also demanded the removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, the Director of Health Education (DHE), the state Health Secretary, and the Director of Health Services (DHS).

In a letter to the protesters, Manoj Pant said, "I would like to reiterate that while the State Government is open to meeting the delegates to ensure smooth functioning of the healthcare infrastructure in the State, the same cannot be in any manner contrary to the directions passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court for resumption of work, as such directions bind the State."

Further, Pant wrote, "The proposed meeting for the restoration of normalcy to ensure treatment and health services to the common people shall be held at 5 pm today in the conference hall at Nabanna. The meeting shall be attended by a delegate team of only 15 persons to ensure a smooth discussion. The meeting shall not be live telecasted. However, the same can be recorded to maintain transparency. This will serve the purpose intended from your end, while also maintaining the sanctity of the proceedings, ensuring that all discussions are accurately documented.

"We look forward to your positive response and are committed to working together to benefit the innumerable patients dependent on the Government health infrastructure in the state," concludes the letter. 

Medical Dialogues team recently reported that protesting junior doctors, in response to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's invitation for talks, have demanded that a delegation of at least 30 members be permitted to attend the meeting to address the RG Kar Hospital impasse.

Calling for a transparent discussion with MoS Health (West Bengal) Chandrima Bhattacharya over the RG Kar medical hospital incident amid the continuous protest by the doctors in Haryana, Dr Arnab Mukhopadhya on Thursday said we have all the discussion channels open, but our prerequisite conditions aren't unfair.