West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee waits at the State Secretariat Nabanna on September 12, 2024, ahead of talks with protesting junior doctors regarding the rape and murder of a doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. | Photo Credit: PTI
In a heated standoff on Thursday, September 12, 2024, striking resident doctors from West Bengal’s government-run hospitals refused to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unless their demand to livestream the meeting was met. The doctors had arrived at the State Secretariat, Nabanna, for talks but were adamant about broadcasting the discussions live, citing transparency concerns.
The government, however, declined the request, stating that the sensitive nature of the case, involving the rape and murder of a doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College, was sub judice, and live streaming would not be appropriate. The doctors, undeterred, insisted that their demands were not excessive, only aimed at ensuring transparency. “If there can be multiple press conferences on the incident, what was the issue with live streaming?” one of the protesting doctors questioned.
Mamata Banerjee, who had waited for two hours at the Secretariat to meet with the doctors, addressed the media before leaving. She expressed disappointment with the ongoing strike, which had resulted in the death of 27 people due to the lack of medical services. “I tried my best to sit with junior doctors. I waited three days with my highest officials,” she said, adding that she would not force them back to work under the Essential Services Maintenance Act. However, she also remarked that some of the protesters were more interested in her position than justice for the slain doctor. Banerjee went so far as to suggest she would resign if that would serve the public interest.
Tensions have been rising since August 9, when the body of the post-graduate trainee doctor was found. The doctors’ strike, now in its second month, has severely affected healthcare services across the state. On September 12, about 30 resident doctors arrived at the Secretariat by bus, only to refuse to attend the meeting after their request for livestreaming was denied. Senior state officials, including Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, tried to persuade them, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The protest escalated after the Supreme Court’s statement on Monday that it would not prevent the West Bengal government from taking action against the doctors if they failed to return to work by 5 p.m. Tuesday. The resident doctors responded by marching to Swastha Bhawan, the State Health Department’s headquarters, and presenting a new set of demands. These included the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and action against senior government officials, alongside increased security for healthcare workers and an end to the “threat culture” in medical institutions.
The refusal to meet Banerjee without livestreaming follows days of email exchanges between the state government and the doctors. However, despite several attempts at negotiation, no breakthrough has been achieved. The doctors returned to their protest site at Swastha Bhawan after the meeting fell through on Thursday.
As of now, the doctors remain open to further discussions but stand firm on their demand for transparency. Meanwhile, the state government is left grappling with a healthcare crisis as the strike drags on, affecting hundreds of thousands of patients.
#MamataBanerjee #DoctorsProtest #LivestreamDemand #HealthcareStrike #KolkataNews