Protesting junior doctors on Monday withdrew their 17-day-long hunger strike after being urged by the parents of the trainee medic who was allegedly raped and murdered at the RG Kar Hospital and Medical College.
The doctors had earlier held a meeting with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as well.
VIDEO | RG Kar rape-murder case: "We have decided that we will respect the request from the common people who have supported us throughout, we are withdrawing our hunger strike but we will continue the fight," says one of the protesting junior doctors after meeting West Bengal CM… pic.twitter.com/2BhTmfcnBK— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 21, 2024
The meeting lasted for two hours after which the doctors said that they felt ‘unhappy’ seeing the ‘body language’ of the government officials.
“In today’s meeting (with the CM), we did get the assurance of some directives, but the body language of the state government was not positive… The common people have wholeheartedly supported us. They, as well as the parents of our deceased sister (RG Kar hospital victim), have been requesting us to call off the hunger strike, keeping in mind our deteriorating health,” a spokesperson for the doctors said.
“We are therefore withdrawing our ‘fast-unto-death’ and also Tuesday’s total shutdown in the health sector,” said Debashish Halder, one of the junior medics.
The decision was taken following a general body meeting of the doctors.
The junior doctors, however, were of the opinion that they were able to ‘bargain’ and implement some of the changes they sought. They also said that there will be no health strike on Wednesday.
Trinamool Congress’ Kunal Ghosh welcomed the development and said: “We are happy that finally junior doctors have withdrawn their hunger strike and also they will not go for strike tomorrow. If there are any problems, they can point out, together we can make the health system better”.
The junior doctors of the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital have been protesting against the alleged rape and killing of their colleague on August 9. The incident took place when the trainee doctor went to sleep in a seminar room of the hospital during a break from duty.
The junior doctors went on “cease work” following the incident. They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21, following assurances from the state government that their demands would be looked into.
However, they sat on a hunger strike at the Dorina crossing in Dharmatala in the heart of Kolkata on October 5, claiming that the government did not fulfil their demands.
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