Calcutta. Protesting junior doctors called off their 17-day fast-unto-death on Monday evening following a nearly two-hour meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat, Nabanna.
The hunger strike had been initiated on October 5 in response to the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital in August, demanding systemic reforms in healthcare and safety within medical institutions.
The talks streamed live from the state secretariat for the first time, covering the doctors’ key demands, including removing the state health secretary and addressing the “threat culture” prevalent in hospitals.
While Banerjee rejected the demand for the removal of Health Secretary Narayan Nigam, she assured the medics of her administration’s commitment to addressing other concerns, urging them to end their hunger strike for the sake of their health and the patients relying on their services.
“Most of your demands have already been addressed,” Banerjee said during the meeting. “But we cannot remove the health secretary without concrete evidence against him.”
While the protesting doctors acknowledged some progress, they expressed frustrations over unresolved issues. “We’ve raised concerns about toxic working conditions and sexual harassment repeatedly, but no effective action has been taken in three years,” said junior doctor Kinjal Nanda, highlighting the need for a safer environment for female medical staff.
The doctors’ agitation began with a ‘cease-work’ on August 9, following the alleged rape and murder at RG Kar Hospital. Their demands included workplace safety reforms, elections in medical colleges, and the reinstatement of suspended doctors.
Though the chief minister admitted to flaws in the system, she cautioned against expecting every demand to be accepted. “You are free to raise demands, but the government has the right to assess whether they are reasonable,” she said.
Aniket Mahato, one of the fasting doctors, countered Banerjee’s statement about suspensions at RG Kar Hospital, accusing some suspended students of contributing to the threat culture. “If you review their answer sheets, you’ll see they don’t even deserve to pass,” Mahato remarked.
As of Monday, six doctors had been hospitalized due to health complications from the fast. Banerjee’s request for the protesters to end their strike eventually persuaded the medics to call off the hunger strike and return to work. However, they vowed to continue pursuing their demands for systemic reforms.
The chief minister promised to look into all grievances and urged the doctors to rise above their disagreements for the welfare of patients. “We want you all to remain healthy and prosper. Please help restore normalcy and trust us to work towards necessary reforms,” Banerjee concluded.
