Kolkata rape murder: 50 senior doctors resign in solidarity with medics on fast

KOLKATA: Around 50 senior doctors of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here on Tuesday tendered their resignations in a mark of solidarity with medics who have been on fast-unto-death demanding justice for the deceased woman doctor, sources in the health facility said. The decision to resign en masse was taken at a meeting of the heads of the departments of the state-run hospital on Tuesday morning, they said.

“This has been decided at today’s meeting of the HoDs. Around 50 senior doctors of our hospital have signed their resignation letters. This is to express our solidarity towards those young doctors who are fighting for a cause,” a senior doctor told PTI. Senior doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital were also mulling to follow the footsteps of their colleagues in the RG Kar hospital, he said.

The Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal pledged solidarity with the junior medics who are demanding justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at the RG Kar hospital in August, and an end to the 'corruption-ridden' healthcare system.

While junior doctors have been on fast-unto-death for the last four days, voicing their demands, there has been "no response from the appropriate authority to solve the issues", a statement issued by the platform said.

Also read Kolkata rape-murder: Doctors announce nationwide hunger strike, black ribbon protest on October 9-10

The doctor's platform also voiced concern over the health condition of those who are on the fast-unto-death and said they are fighting for “campus democracy and patient-friendly system. "In this situation, we will stand in solidarity," the statement said. The doctors' platform also appealed to medics who are in the private sector to "take some befitting action", according to the statement signed by Dr Punyabrata Gun and Dr Hiralal Konar as joint convenors of the organisation.

Despite the West Bengal government urging them to return to work, seven junior doctors continued their 'fast-unto-death' on Tuesday, amid Durga Puja festivities. Around 15 senior doctors also joined them in solidarity by staging a symbolic hunger strike. The senior doctors started their hunger strike at 9 am at Dorina Crossing in the Esplanade area of central Kolkata, where the medics have been on 'fast-unto-death' since Saturday evening. Durga Puja festivities have begun and Tuesday is 'Panchami'.

The agitating junior doctors also planned to bring out a rally from College Square to Esplanade around 4.30 pm to press for their demands, including safety at the workplace. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant had on Monday urged the agitating doctors to "return to normal duties" and hoped that 90 per cent of the ongoing projects taken at all the state-run medical colleges and hospitals across West Bengal would be completed by next month. The bureaucrat claimed that over 45 per cent of the work for installation of CCTVs was complete, and 62 per cent of the renovation and construction jobs were done.