Doctors demand live telecast, 30-member team for meeting with Mamata Banerjee
The doctors protesting against the RG Kar rape and murder case have agreed to hold a meeting with the government to end the impasse over them joining their duties.
The doctors have sought a live telecast of the meeting, and demanded that a delegation of 30 representatives be present. Notably, the Mamata Banerjee-led government has asked the doctors to send a 10-15 member delegation for a meeting at the state secretariat at 6 pm today.
On Tuesday, the state government had written to the doctors and sought a meeting as they continued with their protests despite a Supreme Court diktat which directed them to return to duty by September 10 evening. The doctors stated that while they received an e-mail from the government, it was sent by the Health Secretary, whose removal they are demanding.
On Wednesday morning, doctors said they had agreed to a meeting and emailed the Chief Minister’s Office.
“In the e-mail that was sent to us, there was no mention of the presence of the Chief Minister. We emailed the Chief Minister today at 3.50 am to clear the confusion. We had some demands. We mentioned that demand in that e-mail. But we have not received any reply to that e-mail yet,” a protesting doctor told India Today TV.
The doctors demanded ‘Justice for Abhaya’ and adequate safety and security for all women health professionals in the state.
Later in the day, the Bengal Chief Secretary sent a fresh e-mail to the doctors, asking them to join a meeting at 6 pm at the state secretariat.
The government also reminded them of the Supreme Court order in which they were asked to return to work by 5 pm yesterday.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the protesting resident doctors to resume work by 5 pm on Tuesday and said no adverse action shall be taken against them on resumption of work.
The court passed the direction after the West Bengal government assured it that no action, including punitive transfers, shall be taken against the protesting doctors on resumption of work.
A trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and her body was found in a semi-naked state at the hospital’s seminar hall on August 9. The incident sparked massive uproar across the country, with doctors launching protests, demanding safety at the workplace.