'Will Get Back to Work Only If...': RG Kar Doctors to Mamata as Standoff Continues

Kolkata: The agitating doctors from RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal have expressed their deep frustration with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee , accusing her of failing to understand their demands during an ongoing protest. The protest, which has disrupted health services across the state, centres on the doctors' call for justice for their colleague, Abhaya, and demands for improved working conditions. Speaking to reporters, one of the protesting doctors voiced their discontent.

 "Why is the CM saying that we are responsible for disrupting health services? We feel we have been fighting for valid reasons. We are sticking to our demands and want the problems to be resolved," the doctor stated. The doctors, who have been on a sit-in for 14 days, say they are determined to continue their protest until their concerns are addressed.  

“After talking to her today, we feel she doesn’t understand our demands… She’s like our guardian, but we want justice for Abhaya and to ensure that another such incident doesn't happen,” she added.

‘Some of the Doctors Are Back to Work’

The protesters have submitted a list of 10 demands to the government, outlining the changes they seek to improve safety and work conditions. According to the doctors, they had given a day’s notice before initiating their hunger strike to allow the government time to respond to their concerns, but the lack of resolution led to continued agitation. Despite the protests, the doctors clarified that some of them have continued to work, ensuring that essential services are not entirely halted. "All of us want to return to work. It's not like no one is working; some of us have been working," one of the doctors said.

Meeting With CM at 5 PM on Monday

"The Chief Secretary and Home Secretary met us and we had a telephone conversation with the CM. She invited us to Nabanna for a meeting on Monday at 5 p.m. CM is requesting us to get back to work as the health infrastructure is going down. We want to tell the CM to fulfil our demands and then we will get back to work. We hope that the CM understands our demands and she will fulfil them after the meeting," said the protesting doctors. 

For the unversed, the junior doctors have been on a fast-unto-death for two weeks, demanding justice for their deceased colleague Abhaya and calling for systemic changes in the state's healthcare infrastructure. So far, six doctors on hunger strike have been hospitalised due to deteriorating health, while eight others remain on an indefinite fast, demanding that the state government take constructive action by October 21 to resolve the deadlock.