Doctors in Kolkata call off strike

Protesting doctors on Monday called off their strike after they had a meeeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna earlier in the day.

One of the junior doctors of NRS Medical College and Hospital here said, "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Minister. After an enormous movement, the meeting and discussions with our Chief Minister met a logical end. Considering everything we expect the government to solve the issues as discussed in due time. We withdraw our strike."

"We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to all seniors, juniors, patients, common people, intelligentsia and medical fraternity of the country who spontaneously extended their support and made this movement possible. We hope to maintain this unity in the future too," he added.

The Chief Minister has accepted the proposal of doctors to set up a Grievance Redressal Cell in the government hospitals and also directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma to deploy a nodal police officer in every hospital.

Banerjee on Saturday had extended an olive branch to the agitating doctors by promising not to invoke the stringent Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and appealed to them to resume work immediately.

She had also said that the state government would bear all medical expenses for the treatment of the two junior doctors, who were assaulted in a hospital here that triggered the strike.

The Centre has sought a report from the state government on measures taken to resolve the ongoing strike by doctors.

Both the junior and senior doctors were on strike from the past a week in the state after an intern was allegedly attacked at the NRS Medical College and Hospital by the relative of a patient who died on June 10.

Several doctors across the country also joined the protest against the violence towards medical fraternity.