After a meeting with protesting doctors on Monday (September 16, 2024), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that as demanded by them, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal, the Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police, North, and two senior officials of Health Department would be replaced.
“We have agreed to remove the Director of Health Services and Director of Medical College. After the demand of doctors, the Commissioner of Kolkata Police has decided to step aside pending investigation,” Ms. Banerjee said. Stating that the talks were positive, she urged the doctors to return to work. She also said that no action would be taken against those who had participated in the protests over the past few weeks.
The minutes signed by both parties said, “As regards their demands relating to action against Kolkata Police, the CP Kolkata Police and DC North will be transferred. As regards the health manpower, the present DME and DHS will be transferred.”
“On certain points, we reached an agreement, but disagreement remains on other points,” a representative of the doctors said.
Ms. Banerjee said the memorandum was signed by 42 representatives on the doctors’ side and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on the part of the State government.
“The fact that the Chief Minister has agreed to remove Kolkata Police Commissioner is a victory of our protests. The State government has also removed DHS, DME and DC North. We have got verbal assurances till these actions are realised. We will continue with the protests,” the doctors’ representative said.
The meeting started at 6 p.m. and lasted for almost four hours; the doctors emerged from the Chief Minister’s residence just a few minutes before midnight.
The meeting came after four earlier attempts failed over the doctors’ demands for live-streaming and video recording of the discussions.
While the doctors gave up the demand of video recording, the State government allowed them to bring along a couple of stenographers to the meeting with the Chief Minister.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Pant invited junior doctors for the meeting, saying it was “the fifth and the final time we are reaching out to you for a meeting between the Chief Minister and the delegates”.
The doctors, under the banner of West Bengal Junior Doctor’s Forum, held a meeting and decided to join the discussions.
5-point demand
The protesting junior doctors had been insisting on five-point demands which include the removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and senior officials of the State Health department as well as increased security and safety for doctors, and ending the ‘threat culture’ in the State-run hospitals.
Since September 10, the doctors have shifted the protests from R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital to Swastha Bhawan, where they have been camping under inclement weather conditions. The Chief Minister made a surprise visit to the protesting doctors on September 14 urging them to withdraw the strike. The rape and murder of the doctor at the State-run health facility has triggered massive protests across the metropolis for more than a month. On Monday also several protests were held, including people forming a human chain for nearly 30 km in the northern fringes of the city.
Published - September 16, 2024 06:36 pm IST
