West Bengal: Doctors partially resume duty after 42-day standoff over RG Kar rape, murder

Junior doctors resumed duty on Saturday morning at various government hospitals in West Bengal. after a 42 day break.

They were demonstrating to demand a work stoppage in protest against the rape and murder of a female employee on duty. female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Young doctors have resumed their duties in essential and emergency departments of all public hospitals, but not in the outpatient department.

“We have resumed our duties today. Our colleagues have started returning to their respective departments since this morning, only in essential and emergency departments, but not in health departments. Remember, this is only a partial resumption of duties,” Aniket Mahato, one of the protesting doctors, told PTI.

He said his other colleagues had already left for flood-hit districts of the state, where they would open “Abhaya clinics” (medical camps), to demonstrate their commitment to public health even amid the ongoing protests.

Angry doctors said they would wait another seven days for the administration to respond to their demands for justice for the dead doctor and the removal of the health secretary, or they would begin a new round of “work stoppages.”

The doctors have been protesting since August 9, when the body of a woman doctor was found at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, demanding justice for the deceased doctor and removal of key officials from their posts, alleging their involvement in the case.

The CBI, which is investigating the case, has arrested several people, including former hospital director RG Kar, in connection with its probe into the case.