West Bengal govt invites protesting doctors for talks after withdrawal of fast

Hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of their colleague at R G Kar Hospital to end their fast-unto-death, the state government invited the medics for talks on Monday, conditional upon the “withdrawal of their hunger strike”.

However, earlier in the day, the agitating doctors had declined to end their fast until all of their demands were met.

In a letter addressed to the junior doctors on Saturday evening, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant invited them for talks on Monday at 5 pm. Pant stated that most of the doctors’ demands had already been addressed.

“The Hon’ble chief minister hopes that this message will be received with the understanding that the junior doctors will immediately end the hunger strike in the interest of public health and well-being. All the points raised by you have been discussed and responded to,” Pant said in the letter.

He added, “However, as per your request, if you wish to further discuss these points, you are invited for a meeting with the chief minister on October 21, Monday, at 5 pm in Nabanna Sabhaghar, with 10 of your colleagues, after the withdrawal of the hunger strike.”

Pant also mentioned that the meeting is scheduled to last 45 minutes only.

Banerjee on Saturday urged the junior doctors to end their fast-unto-death, asserting that most of their demands had already been addressed, though she rejected their insistence on removing the state Health secretary.

Speaking to the doctors over the phone during the visit of chief secretary Manoj Pant and Home secretary Nandini Chakraborty to the protest site in Esplanade this afternoon, Banerjee said, “Everybody has the right to protest, but it shouldn’t affect healthcare services. I would request you all to withdraw your fast.”

The junior doctors are demanding the removal of state Health secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, in addition to other reforms.

In response, Banerjee acknowledged their frustration but said, “You know why I did not remove the Health secretary. It is not possible to remove everyone in a department at once. We had earlier removed the DHS and DME. Please rise above politics and rejoin work.”

“How can you decide which officer will be removed or not? Is this logical?” she asked.

The junior doctors have been on a fast-unto-death for the past 15 days, demanding justice for their deceased colleague and calling for systemic changes in the state’s healthcare infrastructure.

So far, six doctors on hunger strike have been hospitalised due to deteriorating health, while eight others continue their indefinite fast, insisting that the state government take concrete action by October 21 to resolve the deadlock.