At least 60 doctors on Wednesday resigned from their roles from Kolkata’s Calcutta Medical College, a day after 50 senior doctors resigned from their roles at RG Kar.
The doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital had earlier on Tuesday decided to resign en masse after holding a meeting of various department heads of the state-run hospital.
They had resigned to show solidarity with medics who have been on fast-unto-death demanding justice for the deceased woman doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered in August.
The mass resignation of the senior doctors from two of the city’s prime medical colleges comes in the wake of the indefinite hunger strike being conducted by seven junior doctors in the heart of the city and a symbolic 12-hour fast being held in solidarity by their peers across medical colleges of West Bengal.
A section of senior doctors from other medical colleges in West Bengal had earlier indicated that they too could follow suit and resign from their roles.
Doctors Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja, and Anustup Mukhopadhyay from Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, Arnab Mukhopadhyay from SSKM, Pulastha Acharya from NRS Medical College and Hospital, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra from KPC Medical College have been staging a ‘fast-unto-death’ since Saturday evening. On Sunday, they were joined by Aniket Mahato from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Two other junior doctors of Coochbehar Medical College are also continuing their hunger strike for the third day consecutive day in support of their colleagues here as junior doctors continued their ‘fast-unto-death’ for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday.
Senior doctors who came in support of their junior medics and held two rallies in the city on Tuesday were planning to come out with another march from the city’s Karunamoyee More to CBI’s office at CGO Complex on Wednesday demanding quick probe of the crime. They have said they will carry the message of Abhaya to Durga Puja pandals across Kolkata.
On Friday, the junior doctors had called off their ‘total cease work’, which had crippled healthcare services at state-run medical colleges and hospitals.
The protesting doctors emphasised that securing justice for the deceased woman medic remains their foremost priority.
They also called for the immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam as well as accountability for the alleged administrative incompetence and action against corruption in the department.
Other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
They are also demanding increased police protection in hospitals, recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.
The junior doctors went on to cease work following the rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government to look into their demands.
(with inputs from PTI)
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