Junior medics in West Bengal continue 'total cease work'

Despite withdrawing their total cease work angry junior doctors in West Bengal maintained their sitin on Saturday in central Kolkata they claim that during a protest to demand justice for the murdered woman medic of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital several of them were batoncharged by the police PTI reportedWithstanding the rain they held their protest throughout the night in the Esplanade areaAccording to PTI some were witnessed standing with umbrellas in one hand while the others managed to take shelter under a temporary plastic shade at the Dorina crossing in the area protesting the polices alleged use of a baton during their Friday demonstration from the SSKM hospital in the citys southern section to EsplanadeThe junior doctors dropped their total cease work at staterun medical colleges and hospitals around 830 pm on Friday but threatened to start a hunger strike till death if the West Bengal government didnt meet their demands within 24 hoursThey also placed a big clock at the protest site in order to keep track of timeWhen you are fighting for a significant cause you cannot expect things to be easy We anticipated better treatment from the state government The baton charge and the verbal abuse from the police were both unnecessary and we demand an apology Debasish Halder a representative of the protesting junior medics told PTIWe will not vacate this place until that is provided he addedMedics from RG Kar Medical Colleges along with their peers from various hospitals also tagged along in the protest PTI reportedIts time for the state government to respond and show that they are genuinely eager to resolve this issue The clock is ticking for them added Aniket Mahato another junior medicThe ongoing protest has caused significant traffic disruptions with a police team surrounding the protest site at the Dorina CrossingAs per PTI the protesters highlighted that securing justice for the deceased female medic remains their foremost priorityAmong their nine demands they have asked for the immediate removal of the State Health Secretary N S Nigam as well as responsibility for the alleged administrative incompetence and corruption within the Department of Health PTI reportedTheir other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for every hospital and medical college in West Bengal the creation of task forces and the installation of a bed vacancy monitoring system to guarantee that their places of employment have the necessary facilities for CCTV oncall rooms and restroomsMoreover they are advocating increased police protection in hospitals the hiring of permanent woman police personnel and the swift filling of vacant positions for doctors nurses and other healthcare workersElections for student councils must be conducted immediately in every medical college in the state All colleges must recognise the Resident Doctors Association RDA and elected representation of students and junior doctors must be ensured in all committees managing colleges and hospitals Halder asserted to PTIA prompt investigation into allegations of corruption and lawlessness inside the West Bengal Medical Council WBMC and the West Bengal Health Recruitment Board WBHRB is another demand made by the junior doctorsAccording to PTI on Thursday night they held a governing body meeting of the Junior Doctors Forum after their senior colleagues asked them to terminate their total cease work and resume regular responsibilitiesThe junior doctors had resumed their cease work on October 1 following an attack by a patients family on medics at the College of Medicine amp Sagore Dutta Hospital last weekEarlier the junior doctors had participated in a 42day complete cease work following the rapemurder of a woman medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9They in the end halted the strike on September 21 after a dialogue with West Bengals state officials and resumed essential medical services PTI reportedWith inputs from PTI