RG Kar Case: Doctors' Association to stage protest at Swasthya Bhavan tomorrow

Kolkata: Returning to the path of seeking justice for Abhaya, a lady doctor whose death has shaken the entire country, the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF) has announced a protest rally on Friday, December 6. The march will begin from the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) and to Swasthya Bhavan.

In a press conference held on December 4, the WBJDF outlined key grievances emphasising the resistance's focus on pursuing justice for Abhaya and drawing attention to the flaws within the system. The WBJDF has invited doctors, nurses, activists, and citizens to join Friday’s protest.

The intensification of the protest comes in response to the recent controversy over the reinstatement of two controversial doctors, Avik Dey and Birupakshma Biswas, in the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC).

Also read- CBI charges Former RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh in Alleged Hospital Contract Scam

Dey and Biswas were members of the penal and ethics committee of the WBMC. They were asked not to attend the meeting of the committee due to the large scale of corruption allegations including threat culture accusations against them following the RG Kar incident. 

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that both the West Bengal Health Department and West Bengal Medical Council suspended Dr Avik de and Dr Birupaksha Biswas. While the State Health Department suspended these two doctors after several allegations were raised against them for allegedly being involved in irregularities, misconduct, and being part of the North Bengal Lobby across medical colleges, the State Medical Council suspended Avik Dey and Birupakhya Biswas following pressure from all fronts, including that of the striking junior medics, for their alleged nexus in the crime.

Recently, the council reinstated these two doctors to key positions and allowed them to attend the penal and ethics committee meetings which caused a major outrage among the medical community. The junior and senior doctors held a sit-in protest in front of the West Bengal Medical Council on Tuesday, reports the Indian Express. 

Condemning the lack of progress in Abhaya's case, the WBJDF has called for a rally on Friday. They criticised attempts to frame her death as a suicide and pointed out alleged tampering with evidence at the crime scene.

"Despite Sandip Ghosh and Avijit Mondal's arrests, no chargesheet has been submitted in their case. The financial corruption chargesheet against Sandip Ghosh and others was rejected due to the state government withholding clearance, raising questions about government complicity," said the association in a press note.

Further, the WBJDF condemned efforts to politicize the movement by tying it to electoral outcomes or party dynamics. They reaffirm the movement’s goal of systemic reform in healthcare and governance, transcending political affiliations.

Addressing accusations of junior doctors working in private hospitals during the strike, WBJDF said that some media reports were factually incorrect which listed that doctors are not connected to government services. They further rejected unethical practices but emphasised the government’s role in privatizing healthcare through schemes like Swasthya Sathi.

Also read- RG Kar Corruption Case: Court rejects CBI's chargesheet against Sandip Ghosh