The junior doctors' protests in Kolkata saw another dramatic day. On Monday, the protesters finally met with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence in Kalighat. The meeting, called “positive” by the CM, lasted for more than five hours.
At the end of the meeting, Chief Minister Banerjee declared that, in response to the doctors' demand, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and DCP North of Kolkata Police, along with two senior health department officials—the Director of Medical Education (DME) and the Director of Health Services (DHS)—would be transferred after 4 pm on Tuesday.
CM Banerjee requested the junior doctors, who have been on strike, to resume duty as soon as possible. “We have accepted 99 per cent of their demands. Now we request them to return to work. There’s flood situation in the state. We are also fighting malaria and dengue,” she told the press after the meeting.
In the meeting, attended by a delegation of over 30 protesters, they presented a five-point demand as part of their movement, seeking justice for the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
One of their demands included enhanced safety and security measures, such as designated rooms and washrooms for on-duty doctors, sufficient female security personnel, and the installation of CCTV cameras. In response, the chief minister announced that the state government has set aside Rs 100 crore for this purpose.
The protesting junior doctors also called for an end to the culture of threats on state-run medical campuses. During the meeting, it was mutually agreed that they would collaborate closely with the chief secretary to address and resolve the challenges faced by the medical fraternity.
The meeting, also joined by West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty among several others from the state administration, is thought to have ended on cordial terms. However, the junior doctors expressed that some of their demands remained only partially addressed.
“We also wanted that some actions be taken against the Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department and DCP Central of Kolkata Police. These demands remain unfulfilled,” said Dr. Aniket Mahato of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in a statement.
He noted, however, that the meeting would be viewed positively by them if Chief Minister Banerjee follows through on the rest of her commitments.
The junior doctors went back to their dharna at Swasthya Bhavan where they would hold a general body meeting to decide the future course of their movement.
Earlier on the day, Mr. Pant had invited the protesting junior doctors for the meeting, saying that there won’t be live-streaming or videography of the meeting. “Instead, minutes of the meeting will be recorded and signed by both the parties,” the mail from the chief secretary said.
Junior doctors replied, stating three conditions for the meeting: either it be videographed by both parties; or, a copy of the recording be handed over to them immediately after the meeting; or, they be allowed to take their own stenographer who will transcribe minute by minute details of the meeting.
In the end, junior doctors were permitted to attend the meeting along with their stenographer. The meeting was documented in detail by both the protesters and the government, with every minute recorded. Both sets of notes were compared and then signed by all participants.