RG Kar hospital junior doctors end strike, plan for hunger protest

Junior doctors at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata have decided to end the strike while they have planned to continue their protest through sit-in demonstrations and hunger strike.

In Short

• RG Kar doctors withdraw strike, plan sit-in and hunger protests
• Protests to continue in Dharmatala metro area during Durga Puja
• Doctors demand government action on safety and patient services

Junior doctors at RG Kar Hospital have withdrawn their strike but have announced a sit-in hunger protest after 24 hours. While they will resume work, the doctors will continue their protest at Dharmatala metro channel area, even during the Durga Puja festival.

They also asserted that they will return to full ceasework till the government takes immediate action on safety, patient services, and what they described as the "politics of fear."

The Junior doctors' demands include immediate justice for the post-graduate trainee doctor without delay in the judicial process, removal of the health secretary due to administrative incompetence and corruption, implementation of a centralised referral system across all hospitals and medical colleges. The doctors also demanded to establish digital bed vacancy monitors in all hospitals, creation of task forces in each hospital, with junior doctors elected to oversee essential facilities like CCTV, on-call rooms, and bathrooms.

Their other demands include, increased police protection in hospitals, hiring permanent female police personnel, immediate filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers. Formation of inquiry committees to investigate threat syndicates, with one committee established at the state level. They also demanded immediate elections for student councils and recognition of the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) in all medical colleges and investigation into corruption within the WBMC (West Bengal Medical Council) and WBHRB (West Bengal Health Recruitment Board).