Page 5 - Bengal Doctors Strike

Agitating doctors write to President Murmu, PM Modi over RG Kar impasse

Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal have written to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting their intervention in the RG Kar hospital impasse. Copies of the four-page letter written by the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front were also sent to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union Health Minister J P Nadda. A post-graduate trainee was raped and murdered in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Junior doctors have been on a 'cease work' since then. "We humbly place the issues before your esteemed excellency, as the head of state, so that our unfortunate colleague who has been the victim of the most despicable crime shall receive justice, and so that we, the healthcare professionals under the West Bengal Health department, may be able to discharge our duties to the public without fear and apprehension. "Your intervention in these trying times will act as a beacon of light to us all, showing us the way ahead out of the darkness t

RG Kar incident: Protesting doctors write to Prez, PM seeking intervention

Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal have written to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting their intervention in the RG Kar hospital impasse. Copies of the four-page letter written by the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front were also sent to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Union Health Minister JP Nadda. A post-graduate trainee was raped and murdered in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Junior doctors have been on 'cease work' since then. "We humbly place the issues before your esteemed excellency, as the head of state, so that our unfortunate colleague who has been the victim of the most despicable crime shall receive justice, and so that we, the healthcare professionals under the West Bengal Health department, may be able to discharge our duties to the public without fear and apprehension. "Your intervention in these trying times will act as a beacon of light to us all, showing us the way ahead out of the darkness that

Govt to pay Rs 2 lakh to families of 29 who died due to 'ceasework': Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that the state government would pay a compensation of Rs two lakh to the families of each of the 29 people who died allegedly after not getting treatment due to the ongoing 'cease work' of agitating junior doctors. "It is sad and unfortunate that we have lost 29 precious lives due to disruption in health services because of long-drawn cease work by junior doctors," Banerjee posted on X. "In order to extend a helping hand to the bereaved families, state government announces a token financial relief of Rs 2 lakh to family members of each deceased person," she added. The junior doctors have been on 'cease work' since August 9 when the body of an on-duty postgraduate trainee was found in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. She was allegedly raped and murdered.

Junior doctors continue protests against RG Kar rape-murder incident

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged the protesting doctors to return to work, adding that she has no greed for her CM post

Will not share any public platform with Mamata over RG Kar: Bengal Guv

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday said he will not share any public platform with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in view of people's outcry over the RG Kar hospital impasse. In a video message, Bose also said he will also socially boycott the chief minister. "I will not be sharing any public platform with the chief minister. I will take proactive steps against her for violating Constitutional provisions. My role as the Governor will be confined to the Constitutional obligations," Bose said. "I stand committed to the people of Bengal. I reiterated my commitment to the parents of the victim of RG Kar and also to those who are demonstrating for justice. In my assessment, the government has failed in its duties," he added.

'You will face same fate as RG Kar medic': Patient's son warns Kolkata doc

The son of a patient admitted to a private medical establishment in Kolkata allegedly threatened a doctor there that she would end up with the same fate as the medic of the RG Kar hospital, police said on Thursday. The police started an investigation following a complaint was lodged in this regard. An on-duty junior doctor of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was raped and murdered inside the facility on August 9. A 58-year-old female patient was admitted to the private hospital on Monday with complaints of shortness of breath and altered mental status, a term used to describe various disorders of mental functioning. "The patient's son and his friends have been abusing the hospital staff. They even threatened a doctor inside the ICU last night that her condition would be like that of the RG Kar hospital doctor," an official of the private facility said. The hospital is exercising restraint considering the critical condition of the patient, he said.

Doctors blame WB govt after talks fail, say never sought CM's resignation

The agitating junior doctors on Thursday blamed the West Bengal administration for its rigidness in not allowing live streaming of the meeting to resolve the RG Kar stalemate and asserted that they never sought the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as offered by her. Dubbing Banerjee's remarks blaming the medics for the impasse as unfortunate, the doctors said their 'cease work' and agitation would continue until their demands are met. The chief minister's remarks are unfortunate. We wanted the talks to take place. However, the state administration was adamant about not allowing live streaming of the meeting. Our demands are justified. We wanted live streaming for the transparency of the meeting, one of the agitating doctors told reporters. The agitators refused to hold talks with the West Bengal government unless their demand for live streaming of the meeting was met. The talks were scheduled for 5 pm in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as demanded by t

Ready to resign for sake of people, says Mamata amid stand-off with doctors

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday offered to resign "for the sake of people" and said she also want justice for the murdered RG Kar hospital doctor. "I apologise to the people of Bengal who expected an end to the RG Kar impasse today. They (junior doctors) came to Nabanna but did not sit for the meeting. I request them to go back to work," Banerjee told a press conference. "I am ready to resign for the sake of the people as, despite my best intentions and efforts in the last three days, the medics declined to hold talks," the chief minister said.

RG Kar case: 30-member team of junior docs to attend meeting with CM Mamata

Welcoming the Bengal government's positive response to hold talks in presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to resolve the RG Kar hospital impasse, agitating junior doctors Thursday announced their decision to attend the proposed meeting at the state secretariat within the stipulated time of 5 pm. The medics, however, declared that they would stick to their original demand of taking part in the meeting with 30 members instead of 15 people as mandated by the state government. The protesters also stated they would not settle for anything less than a live stream of the talks, which had earlier been rejected by the state chief secretary in its latest invitation for the meeting. We welcome the chief secretary's invitation and confirmation that the CM would be present at the meeting. We will attend the meeting with an open mind, but it has to be centred around the issue of providing justice to our colleague and ensuring security for doctors across the state, a protesting doctor ...

RG Kar doctor rape-murder: CBI questions TMC MLA Sudipto Roy at residence

CBI sleuths on Thursday questioned Trinamool Congress MLA Sudipto Roy in connection with the RG Kar rape and murder case. A team of CBI officials on Friday afternoon reached the residence of Roy, who is also a doctor, in Sinthee area on the northern fringes of Kolkata and questioned him in connection with their investigation into the case. Roy, who is president of the RG Kar Patient's Welfare Committee, said he has cooperated with sleuths of the central agency. "CBI sleuths had come to question me regarding the investigation into the death of a student at RG Kar hospital last month. I cooperated with them," Roy, who is MLA of Serampore assembly constituency, said. Protests of doctors began after the body of a postgraduate trainee was found at the hospital on August 9. A civic volunteer has been arrested in connection with the case, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a probe following a Calcutta High Court order. The CBI had last week arrested former princ

Bengal doctors' protest: Medicos set fresh demands, government remains firm

Thousands of junior doctors have been staging a sit-in outside Swasthya Bhavan in Kolkata, the headquarters of the Health Department, since Tuesday

Inquiry committee defers hearing of 51 doctors of RG Kar by two days

Authorities of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday deferred the hearing of the 51 doctors who were issued notice for allegedly promoting a culture of intimidation, endangering the democratic atmosphere of the institution, an official said. The next date of the hearing is likely to be Friday, he added. The RG Kar Medical College and Hospital had on Monday issued a notice to 51 doctors for promoting a culture of intimidation, endangering the democratic atmosphere of the institution and asked them to appear before the committee on September 11. They have to prove their innocence before the committee, the notice said. The decision was taken by the Special Council Committee of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and access to the institution's campus has been restricted for the 51 doctors unless summoned by the inquiry committee. The list includes senior residents, house staff, interns and professors. RG Kar Hospital has been rocked by protests by junior doctors foll

RG Kar protest: Doctors demand live broadcast, CM's presence in meet

The West Bengal government has invited the junior doctors, who have been on a cease work for over a month, to a meeting to resolve the standoff over the alleged rape-murder of a woman medic, with the doctors insisting that the discussion be held in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's presence and broadcast live. The government's invitation, sent via email at 3:49 am on Wednesday, proposed a discussion at the state secretariat, Nabanna, at 6 pm the same day. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant urged the doctors to send a delegation of 12 to 15 members to the meeting and indicated that a positive response would be appreciated. The invitation did not confirm whether Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would be present. Pant's letter also addressed the doctors' defiance of a Supreme Court order to resume duties by 5 pm on Tuesday. "You will, no doubt, appreciate and agree that as a law-abiding citizen, it is everyone's bounden duty to adhere to these directions. Unfortunately, it has not been adhered

Court sends RG Kar's ex-principal Ghosh to judicial custody till Sep 23

Former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh was on Tuesday sent to judicial custody till September 23 by a special CBI court in the financial irregularities case. The court also sent his security personnel Afsar Ali and two alleged associates, contractors Vendors Biplab Sinha and Suman Hazra, to judicial custody till September 23. The CBI told the court that it would seek their custody again if required. Ghosh was arrested by the CBI on charges of financial irregularities on September 2 amid protests over the rape and murder of the doctor at the RG Kar MCH. On September 3, the court had sent him to eight days in CBI custody.

Medic rape-murder: Junior docs' ceasework to continue despite SC's order

Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal on Monday evening said they would continue their cease work' to demand justice for the RG Kar hospital medic who was raped and murdered, despite Supreme Court directions to resume duties by 5 pm on Tuesday. Demanding the resignation of the state's health secretary and director of health education (DHE), the striking medics said that they would also take out a rally to 'Swasthya Bhavan' the headquarters of the health department in Salt Lake on Tuesday noon. "Our demands are unfulfilled and justice is not meted out to the victim. We will continue our agitation as well as the cease work'. We want the health secretary and DHE to resign. Tomorrow noon, we will hold a rally to the Swasthya Bhavan," one of the protesting doctors told PTI after their governing body meeting here. The body of the postgraduate trainee was found with injury marks in a seminar room of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. She was allegedly raped and .

Construction work at RG Kar hospital not to shield anyone: CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday rejected claims that the construction work near the seminar hall at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here was intended to tamper with evidence. She clarified that the work was for building retiring rooms and washrooms for doctors, not for obstructing the rape-murder probe of the woman medic. Banerjee emphasised that the absence of a retiring room had forced the deceased woman medic to rest in the seminar hall. "There was no intention other than to build a retiring room there. Because there was no such room, the woman doctor had to go to the seminar hall to rest. We decided to build the retiring room-cum-washroom so that doctors do not have to rest in the seminar hall," she said. "There are talks that evidence was tampered with to protect someone... But whom and why should we do that? Remember, nobody is our friend or foe. Law will take its course," she added. Addressing the issue at the state secretariat, Banerjee asserted, .

Kolkata rape-murder: SC voices concern over absence of document for autopsy

The Supreme Court on Monday voiced concern over the absence of a key document that was needed for the postmortem of the medic raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, and asked the CBI to investigate into it. The top court also directed the protesting resident doctors in West Bengal to resume work by 5 pm on Tuesday and said no adverse action shall be taken against them on resumption of work. The court passed the direction after the West Bengal government assured it that no action, including punitive transfers, shall be taken against the protesting doctors on resumption of work. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said there was no reference of the 'challan' (document) used, and sought an answer from the CBI and the West Bengal government. "Where is the challan of the body when it was handed over for postmortem? the bench also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, informed the

Conspiracy by Centre, left parties behind RG Kar protests: CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the Centre was conspiring over public outcry involving the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at a state-run hospital last month. She also claimed that some Left parties were involved in it. Speaking at an administrative review meeting at the state secretariat- Nabanna, Banerjee also claimed she had never offered money to the deceased doctor's parents, dismissing a campaign that the family members of the postgraduate trainee were offered money. Banerjee urged people to "return to festivities" as Durga puja is round the corner. "I have never offered money to the deceased doctor's family, this is nothing but slander. I have told the parents that if they wanted to do something in their daughter's memory, our government is with them. I know when to speak what," Banerjee said. "This (protest following RG Kar incident) is definitely a conspiracy by the Centre and some Left parties are also involved in it. Some people are

RG Kar hospital incident: Victim's mother says all protesting her children

People from all walks of life - former students of several educational institutions, clay modellers, rickshaw pullers and junior doctors separately hit the streets of Kolkata on Sunday in continued protest over the rape and murder of a medic in a state-run hospital a month ago. Demanding the arrest of all culprits in the case, the mother of the post-graduate trainee whose body was found in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 said she had one child and now all the protesting medics are her children. In south Kolkata, around 4,000 former students of over 40 schools, a large number of them women, walked a distance of 2 km demanding justice for the victim. The former students of various ages chanted 'We Want Justice' as they walked along Rash Behari Avenue to the crossing of Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Road from Gariahat. Ex-students of institutes like Binodini Girls School, Mitra Institution, Garfa High School, Carmel High School and St John's Diocesan took part in the ...

Bengal medical council issues show cause notice to ex-RG Kar principal

The West Bengal Medical Council on Saturday issued a show cause notice to arrested ex-RG Kar hospital principal Sandip Ghosh over his alleged involvement in financial irregularities at the health facility, an official said. The 'show-cause notice' to Ghosh is a step before the council takes any decision on cancelling his medical registration, he said. Dr Ghosh has been served with a show cause notice. We have given him a three-day time to reply to the same," the official told PTI. Ghosh has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The allegations of financial irregularities at the hospital came to light after the body of a woman doctor was recovered from there on August 9. The postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty in the health facility. The incident triggered a nationwide protest. Three other doctors have also been asked to refrain from a