Healthcare services crippled as Bengal junior doctors continue ceasework

Our protest will continue till justice is served to our sister. There cannot be any alternative to that, says an agitating doctor

Kolkata: Healthcare services were affected at State-run hospitals in West Bengal on Saturday as junior doctors continued their ceasework for the 16th consecutive day to protest the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Senior doctors were attending to patients at the emergency services at government hospitals. “Our protest will continue till justice is served to our sister. There cannot be any alternative to that,” an agitating doctor at the KMCH said.

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The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated its appeal to the doctors protesting over the rape and killing of the medic to resume work and directed that no coercive action would be taken against them.

The court said judges and doctors cannot strike since they deal with matters involving life and liberty. Apart from demanding justice for the woman medic, the junior doctors have been pressing for the removal of several people in the KMCH’s administration.

Bowing to their demand, the West Bengal government on Wednesday night removed three senior officials of the Kar Medical College and Hospital and also cancelled the order to shift the hospital’s former principal Sandip Ghosh as principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.

On August 9, the police recovered the body of a woman postgraduate trainee doctor from the seminar hall of the KMCH. A civic volunteer was arrested the next day for his alleged involvement in the crime.