Photo: PTI
Kolkata: Junior and senior doctors working at government and private hospitals in West Bengal have given the state government an ultimatum: they will stop working by Monday or Tuesday if their demands are not met.
Following a meeting between junior and senior doctors, the development took place. Junior doctors claim that because of the hunger strike, their colleagues are becoming sick, but the state government is not interested in accommodating their requests.
“The Chief Minister herself has not come to visit the junior doctors who are on a hunger strike for the 14th day,” said a junior doctor, the New Indian Express reported.
“We are fasting for 14 consecutive days, but the chief minister did not bother to come to our hunger strike site. This is unfortunate. Why is the chief minister adamant and not listening to the demands of the junior doctors?” a senior doctor asked.
Junior doctors expressed a need for the chief minister to personally address them at the Dharmatala dharna site. “The chief secretary and health secretary did not portray the right picture to the chief minister. She was being misled. So we want her to visit the dharna mancha and speak those on hunger strike,” a junior doctor said.
Motivated by the success of protests and the Droher carnival, junior doctors in Kolkata are reconsidering their approach and looking for public support.
Doctors supporting the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front initiative gathered signatures at several locations throughout the city on Friday. In order to decide on the future steps, the junior doctors who were protesting also met with senior doctors in the evening.
Renowned physician Dr Sukumar Mukherjee encouraged the chief minister to support those on hunger strike while he was at the Dharna site.
“So far, six fasting junior doctors have been hospitalised after their health deteriorated,” a protesting doctor said.