The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum, protesting against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital, announced on Thursday evening that it will continue with the sit-in outside the Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the state Health Department in Salt Lake, till all their demands are met.
Accusing the state government of its "obstinate attitude" for the failure of the talks, the 30-member WBJDF delegation-after the scheduled discussion with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee failed on Thursday with the state administration not willing to allow a live telecast of the meeting, one of the pre-conditions set by the protesting doctors for the talks-ended up returning to the sit-in site in Salt Lake.
Countering Banerjee's remarks at a press conference that the doctors' protest had political colors prompted by the greed for the CM's post, protesting doctors said they went to the doorsteps of the Secretariat for talks, respecting the "chair" of the Chief Minister.
"We are not asking for any chair. We are asking for justice to the victim. We have been on the streets for the last 33 days, and if necessary we will remain on the streets for another 33 days. But we will fight for justice till the end," said one of the protesting doctors.
They also refuted the allegation of the Chief Minister that patients were suffering because of the cease-work call given by the junior doctors.
"The senior doctors are working overtime to serve the patients because they are in solidarity with our protest," said an agitating junior doctor.
The WBJDF had earlier statistically countered the allegations of the state government that the healthcare system in Bengal was suffering because of their cease-work call.
Demonstrators explained that they were mere trainee doctors. They claimed that if their absence from duty could lead to the whole healthcare system collapsing, it demonstrated how pathetic the system was, with grossly insufficient trained doctors and a lack of associated medical staff.
According to the statements, out of 245 state-run hospitals in West Bengal, only 26 are medical colleges.
The total number of junior doctors in West Bengal is about 7,500, as against about 93,000 registered doctors, they claimed.
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