Kolkata rape & murder horror: Agitating doctors end 'cease-work', to resume essential services from Saturday

Junior doctors in West Bengal on Thursday night announced a partial resumption of their duties at emergency and essential services in state-run hospitals starting Saturday.

Kolkata rape & murder horror: Doctors call off month-long protest, to return to work on Saturday snt

Sunita Iyer

First Published Sep 19, 2024, 10:33 PM IST | Last Updated Sep 19, 2024, 11:15 PM IST

Junior doctors in West Bengal on Thursday night announced a partial resumption of their duties at emergency and essential services in state-run hospitals starting Saturday. This decision comes after the state government agreed to most of their demands.

The medics, who have been on strike for 41 days following the rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, will also end their sit-in protest outside Swasthya Bhawan on Friday. Before concluding their demonstration, they plan to march from Swasthya Bhawan, the state health department headquarters, to the CBI office at CGO Complex in Salt Lake.

"It has been decided that given the flood situation in West Bengal and the state government agreeing to certain demands of ours, we will be rejoining emergency and essential services partially from Saturday. We are withdrawing our cease work partially," an agitating doctor said after their general body meeting.

The protesting doctors have stated that they will not be working in the Out Patient Department (OPD) but will resume partial duties in emergency and essential services.

"We will withdraw our sit-in outside Swasthya Bhawan on Friday after the march to the CBI office. We will wait for a week for implementation of all the promises made by the West Bengal government and if unfulfilled, we will resume 'cease work'," the doctors said, adding that their fight for justice has not ended.

Earlier today, protesting junior doctors claimed that decorators were removing tents, bamboo shafts, and pedestal fans from the protest site outside Swasthya Bhawan after allegedly being pressured by the police. The police, however, have dismissed these claims as unfounded.

The doctors reported that around midnight, decorators—who had previously donated tarpaulins, beds, tents, and pedestal fans—were seen dismantling the setup from the sit-in site near the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake.

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