Kolkata: Services in four government hospitals here were hit as strike by junior doctors entered the fourth day on Tuesday, even as the government claimed that a section of the protestors had resumed duty in 'some places' and the agitation will be withdrawn soon.
"We have information that a section of the striking junior doctors have already resumed duty in some places. We are hopeful that the strike will be formally withdrawn in a few hours," said Director of Medical Education Soumendranath Banerjee.
Banerjee, who met a delegation of the striking doctors at Swastha Bhavan said they demanded a high-power inquiry into Saturday's violence at SSKM Hospital and security for government hospital doctors.
"We have accepted both the demands," he said. A notification has been issued for setting up the inquiry committee and the Principal Secretary of the Health Department has met city Police Commissioner and Additional Secretary of the Home Department on the security issue, he said.
Meanwhile, services in the four of the five referral hospitals here remained jeopardised till afternoon with outdoor patients running from pillar to post in search of doctors.
The situation was particularly dismal at the super-speciality SSKM Hospital where violence by relatives of a dead patient on Saturday triggered off a counter attack by a section of junior doctors who beat up patients and journalists.
Following the arrest of four junior doctors of the SSKM, their colleagues from the R G Kar Hospital, Kolkata Medical College and the National Medical College went on a strike crippling medical services.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had set a noon deadline today for the junior doctors to resume work.
At a function here earlier in the day, Health Minister Surya Kanta Mishra warned the doctors of stern action if they failed to join duty within the deadline.
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