Agitating junior doctors defied the Supreme Court’s directive to join duties by 5 pm on Tuesday, saying they would continue with their ‘cease work’ till their demands were fulfilled and the rape and murder victim of the RG Kar Hospital was given justice.
Earlier, Supreme Court on Monday had urged doctors to return to work by 5 pm tomorrow and no adverse action will be taken against them, however the top court cautions if continuous abstention from work continues then disciplinary action can be taken against them. The SC also directs the immediate removal of photographs of RG Kar Hospital rape-murder victim from all social media platforms.
The court passed the direction after the West Bengal government assured it that no action, including punitive transfers, shall be taken against the protesting doctors on resumption of work.
“We will continue with the cease work as our demands are not fulfilled. We had asked the state government to remove the Kolkata police commissioner, health secretary, director of health services and the director of medical education by 5 pm. We are open to discussion,” one of the agitating doctors said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday evening invited the agitating junior doctors for a meeting at the state secretariat to resolve the impasse over the RG Kar hospital issue.
“Your small delegation (maximum 10 persons) may visit ‘Nabanna’ now to meet government representatives,” an email sent by the state’s Health Secretary N S Nigam to the protesting medics said.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Finance Chandrima Bhattacharya said that the CM is waiting at her chamber for the delegation of junior doctors to arrive for the meeting.
