West Bengal: Protesting doctors resume work

Marking a major breakthrough in the 41-day impasse over the rape and murder of a young doctor, the agitated protesting junior doctors of West Bengal have decided to partially withdraw their strike and resume essential services.

It was announced on Friday evening that the doctors would resume the medical services from Saturday morning.

“We will resume essential services from Saturday. We will also end the sit-in outside Swasthya Bhavan, headquarters of the state health department, on Friday by organizing a mega rally,” Aniket Mahata, one of the protesters, was quoted as saying in the media reports.

The announcement was made hours after Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant issued a set of 10 directives to ensure the safety, security and efficient functioning of the state health care system.

The reports said the doctors were returning to work in light of the floods that have inundated many areas of southern Bengal.

The doctors, however, made it clear that they would form a standard operating protocol to determine what constitutes essential services, indicating a partial resumption of work.

“The junior doctors will resume the essential services in the various departments of state-run medical colleges and hospitals. After Friday’s rally, we will return to our respective medical colleges and draw SOPs to resume essential services. The cease work in OPDs will, however, continue,” another junior doctor was quoted as saying.

The doctors across Bengal have been on strike since August 9 demanding justice for the junior doctor who was raped and murdered in RG Kar Hospital last month.

The incident triggered a nationwide agitation and uproar.