Kolkata: Private hospital doctors in West Bengal have announced a 48-hour “partial cease work” starting today (14 October), in support of junior doctors who are on a hunger strike, seeking justice for the RG Kar rape and murder case victim.
Operating under the banner of Healthcare Professionals of Private Hospitals, the doctors clarified that emergency services will continue in all medical facilities. Expressing concern over the West Bengal government’s lack of action on the demands of state-run hospital medics, the doctors said the entire medical community is on edge. “
From October 14, most doctors in private hospitals will stop non-emergency duties,” they said during a press conference on Saturday. They urged the government to respond to the demands of the protesting medics with empathy. “If the government takes appropriate steps, we will resume our normal duties,” the doctors mentioned in an official statement.
Doctors intensify protests
On Saturday, doctors from private hospitals in West Bengal announced a 48-hour “partial cease work” starting October 14, supporting junior medics on a fast-unto-death protest. Under the banner of Healthcare Professionals of Private Hospitals, the doctors clarified that emergency services would remain unaffected. “Most doctors will refrain from non-emergency duties, but patient care will not be compromised,” they said.
Mass resignations and hunger strikes
In a show of solidarity, 38 doctors from Arambagh Medical College and Hospital are set to resign en masse, though the state government said that resignation letters must be submitted individually per service rules. Several doctors from state-run hospitals had sent collectively signed letters demanding justice for the medic raped and murdered at R G Kar Hospital. Chief Advisor Alapan Bandyopadhyay reiterated that mass resignations are invalid unless done individually.
Meanwhile, the Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal, called for a protest carnival on October 15 at Esplanade, coinciding with the state’s own carnival showcasing Durga Puja idols on Red Road.
