Amidst the ongoing festivities at the height of Durga Puja, junior doctors continued with their fast unto death, and Aniket Mahato, a protesting doctor, was admitted to the critical care unit of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in the early hours on Friday (October 11, 2024) after his health condition deteriorated.
Doctors treating Dr. Mahato said that he remained “critical but stable” and the health of other doctors on fast unto death remained a matter of concern as the fast have continued for over 120 hours.
The fast unto death by nine resident doctors — seven at Esplanade and two at the North Bengal Medical College — is drawing large crowds, and in the evening a mass convention was held at the protest venue in Esplanade. Thousands of people gathered in support of the fasting doctors at Esplanade on Friday (October 11, 2024) and sang Rabindra Sangeet to express solidarity to the doctors.
Indian Medical Association president A.V. Asokan visited met the doctors at Esplanade. Calling the doctors as ‘heros’, he appealed to the State government to take steps to address the issue of doctors. “I am touched by the way these children are fighting for the cause of the people and not for themselves. I am emotional. They are the real heroes, and we are all very proud of them,” the IMA president said.
On August 10, 2024, the IMA president wrote a letter addressed to the Chief Minister saying that the IMA supports the just demands of doctors. “They deserve your immediate attention. The government of West Bengal is entirely capable of meeting all the demands,” IMA president had said.
On Friday (October 11, 2024), the State’s Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant, wrote to the protesting doctors providing a status report on various initiatives and interventions in the health care services delivery system.
“The State government has allocated over ₹113 crore for these projects in medical colleges alone. All tasks have been prioritised, and over 90% of the sanctioned projects are nearing completion, except at R.G. Kar, where the necessary NOC from the investigating authorities was received just two days ago. It is expected [that] all ongoing projects will be completed by October 15, 2024,” the email by the Chief Secretary said.
The email also referred to an establishment of real-time bed availability and central referral system as well as a committee for security audit of all medical colleges under Surajit Kar Purkayastha, former DGP of West Bengal.
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Friday (October 11, 2024) granted interim bail to the nine youths who were arrested for raising slogans outside a Durga Puja pandal in south Kolkata on October 9, 2024. The nine were remanded to a seven-day police custody by the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Alipore on Thursday (October 10, 2024). The arrest and police custody for the youths for raising slogans had evoked strong reactions from protesters.
On Friday (October 11, 2024), Justice Shampa Sarkar said that there was no reason for the accused to be detained in police custody and granted interim bail to the nine against a surety of ₹1,000 each.
“Considering the nature of the offence and the WhatsApp chats, this court is of the, prima facie, opinion that, at best, belligerent young men between 20 and 25 years of age, wanted to continue their demonstration in front of those puja pandals to draw the attention of a large gathering of people and to probably send a message that despite the festivities, all was not well,” the Judge said.
The Court, however, added the detained persons shall not create any disturbance near the puja pandals. Justice Sarkar added that all demonstrations should be held 200m away from the puja pandals. “None shall disrupt the carnival, which the government has organised, as a part of its yearly ritual,” the Court added.
Published - October 11, 2024 12:55 pm IST
