West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed protesting junior doctors on Saturday, September 14, to resolve ongoing demonstrations.
The West Bengal Junior Doctors Front (WBJDF) began their protest on September 10 at Swasthya Bhawan, demanding justice for a postgraduate trainee doctor from RG Kar Medical College, who was raped and murdered on August 9. While the doctors welcomed the CM’s gesture, they remain adamant that protests will continue until their five demands are transparently discussed in a live telecasted meeting.
The protests have drawn criticism from the state government, which blames the disruptions for an increase in patient deaths. In her address, Banerjee said, “I believe many have died due to lack of treatment,” urging doctors to return to work. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the state government, echoed these concerns in the Supreme Court.
The protesting doctors, however, refute these claims. According to WBJDF, junior doctors constitute only around 7,500 of the 93,000 registered doctors in the state. They argue that blaming their absence for healthcare failures is misleading. A protesting doctor stated that the healthcare system is largely run by senior doctors, and the shortage of General Duty Medical Officers (GDMOs) and other vacant positions is a larger issue affecting services. The junior doctors stress that their protests are not responsible for the current state of healthcare in the region.
