The West Bengal administration asked junior physicians on strike to return to work on Tuesday, despite the fact that their continuous protest is seriously impairing healthcare services. Patient care throughout the state has been greatly hampered by the strike, which started after the terrible rape and murder of a 31-year-old second-year postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
N. S. Nigam, the West Bengal Health Secretary, spoke about the issue and acknowledged the significant effect the strike has had on medical services. He underlined that the state administration is dedicated to conducting an open and thorough inquiry into the crime in order to make sure that those responsible are held accountable. Nigam gave his word that the government is committed to improving the safety and security of medical professionals and believes they should be treated with dignity. He emphasized that the paucity of resident physicians has led to an increase in patient complaints over delayed emergency care.
Patients at government hospitals are greatly inconvenienced by the lengthy lines and delays in the outpatient departments (OPDs) caused by the junior doctors’ strike. Senior physicians have been asked to cover their junior colleagues’ shifts in an attempt to lessen the effects, however the large number of patients has resulted in a backlog.
Nigam appealed for the physicians to return to work in response to the continued protest, reiterating the government’s commitment to a comprehensive inquiry and enhanced security measures for medical personnel. He asked the striking physicians to take into account the state’s commitment to finding a solution and bringing healthcare services back to normal for the benefit of the general population.
The government of West Bengal is aggressively handling the situation and has denounced the horrifying crime. The Commissioner of Police is personally supervising the probe, which has been given the attention of a Special probe Team (SIT). According to the authorities, the suspected criminal—a volunteer from the community—was taken into custody 12 hours after the incident. The victim’s parents receive regular updates on the status of the investigation.
A magistrate’s investigation into the occurrence and the dismissal of senior administrators from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital are demands made by junior physicians. The Kolkata Police have been given until August 14th to wrap up their inquiry. To manage the patient inflow and reduce interruptions to healthcare services, the government has postponed senior physicians’ leaves.
In summary, the strike has brought attention to the seriousness of the problem and the demand for justice, but it has also brought attention to the pressing need for quick fixes in order to guarantee ongoing and efficient patient care.
SOURCE :
HUB NEWS