RG Kar Case: Bengal Chief Secretary Calls Meeting with Doctors’ Associations on Monday
Following protests over the rape and murder of a junior doctor from R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant has scheduled an emergency meeting with various doctors’ associations, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA), for Monday.
The meeting is set for 12:30 p.m. at Swasthya Bhavan, the state Health Department headquarters in Salt Lake, on the outskirts of Kolkata. Each association has been asked to send two representatives, and the Chief Secretary will chair the session.
Doctors’ associations have been requested to email the names of their attendees in advance. However, it remains uncertain whether State Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam will attend.
One key demand from the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF), which is leading the protests, is the replacement of the state health secretary. As of now, the state government has not received any responses from the doctors’ associations regarding the meeting.
The ongoing fast-unto-death protest by junior doctors has entered its ninth day, with three participants requiring hospitalization due to severe health issues. Additionally, doctors in private hospitals across West Bengal have announced a partial cease-work for 48 hours, starting at 6 a.m. on Monday and ending at 6 a.m. on Wednesday. During this period, only emergency medical services will be available at these facilities.
