KOLKATA: After the Supreme Court directed agitating junior doctors to join duty by 5 pm on Tuesday, the doctors working in state-run medical colleges said they would continue their cease-work as justice still eludes them even a month after the rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
TNIE spoke with a few protesting doctors of RG Kar Hospital who said that they are not feeling safe despite the presence of CRPF personnel on the premises.
“After the rape-murder incident, a sense of fear haunts us. As many culprits are still roaming free trauma still, we apprehend that they might attack us any time,” a doctor said, wishing not to be named. Another doctor said, “We are not secure. Unless we get our security, we cannot join work. Our protest for justice to RG Kar victim will continue.”
Soon after the Supreme Court order, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee convened a press conference and urged junior doctors to join their duty.
In the Supreme Court, the state government’s lawyer gave a report stating that 23 people died in the last one month in state-run hospitals after junior doctors started protests.
West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said, “We are committed to providing security cover to meet the students’ demands. Already Rs 100 crore has been allocated to various state-run medical colleges to upgrade security infrastructure, including resting rooms and renovation of toilets. We urge junior students to join duty.”
The junior doctors, however, claimed that the state government wants to scuttle their protests, so it is urging them to join duty. The doctors remained firm on protest unless their demands are addressed. “Unless we see major changes, we will continue our protest,” one said.
