Following a 42-day protest, junior physicians in West Bengal returned to work on Saturday at government-run hospitals. The horrific rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital served as the impetus for the “cease work” protest. Since August 9, the doctors have been on strike, calling for the expulsion of the state health secretary, whom they claim is complicit in the case, and justice for their colleague.
Upon their return, junior physicians are once again providing emergency and critical care in all state-run hospitals; however, they are not taking part in outpatient department (OPD) services. As they wait for the state administration to respond to their requests, they view this limited resumption as a temporary measure. One of the doctors protesting, Aniket Mahato, claims that if their demands for justice and action against state authorities are not realized in the next seven days, they will continue to abstain from full duty.
Though there is still instability, the doctors have a strong commitment to public health. Many of them have been assigned to the state’s flood-affected districts to manage “Abhaya clinics,” which are medical camps designed to give flood victims the critical medical attention they need. As they strike a balance between their obligations to patients and their demands for justice, this effort shows their commitment to serving the public even in the midst of their continuous protests.
Following the finding of the female doctor’s body at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a protest was started. The younger physicians are calling for structural adjustments within the health department in addition to seeking justice for her death. They have demanded the dismissal of important authorities, such as the state health secretary, on the grounds of carelessness and potential complicity in the case’s improper handling.
The former principal of RG Kar Hospital has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is presently looking into the matter. The younger doctors are still demanding greater action and openness from the state government even while the CBI investigates.
The physicians have threatened to go on strike again in the event that the state does not accord their demands in the allotted time, which could result in major delays to medical services. In addition to rocking the medical community, the case has sparked broad calls for reform by bringing up issues regarding the safety of state healthcare professionals.
SOURCE :
TIMES OF INDIA
