Kolkata: Amid the ongoing deadlock, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suddenly arrived at the protest site of junior doctors and assured them that their demands will be looked into and action will be taken against anyone found guilty. Addressing the protesting doctors outside the Swasthya Bhavan in Salt Lake, Banerjee said she would not take any action against them as she did not believe in suppressing a democratic movement. “Bengal is not Uttar Pradesh,” she said.
However, after the Chief Minister left, the agitating doctors said that they are not ready to compromise on their demands until talks are held. This indicates that the deadlock is not going to end soon. Banerjee suddenly reached the protest site in Sector 5 at around 1 pm with Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar. She said that the doctors are protesting on the road in the rain, due to which they are not able to sleep at night. Banerjee said, “I have come to meet you not as the Chief Minister, but as your ‘didi’.”
The Chief Minister said, “I assure you that I will look into your demands and take action if anyone is found guilty.” She urged the doctors sitting on strike to return to work. Banerjee also announced that the Rogi Kalyan Samitis of all government hospitals have been dissolved with immediate effect.
“This is my last attempt to resolve the crisis,” he said. The doctors have been camping outside Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the state health department, since Tuesday. Their demands include better security in government hospitals and removal of top officials over the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The junior doctors have been protesting for over a month, affecting the state’s public healthcare. The government has claimed that 29 people have died due to alleged lack of treatment because of the protests.
