Kolkata, 14 June :As more than 200 doctors of several government hospitals across West Bengal have stepped down from their posts expressing solidarity with striking junior doctors, the entire medical services in the state have remained paralysed for the 5th day today creating an unprecedented situation since independence apart from bringing untold miseries to thousands of hapless people.Â
Submitting their resignation letters en masse to their higher authorities, large number of senior doctors and professors of different government hospitals including major hospitals like R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital, Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital and Uttarbanga Medical College and Hospital among several others here today blamed Chief minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly remaining ‘ indifferent and unsympathetic’ to the demand and problems of Junior doctors and instead calling them as ‘Outsiders’ inside hospital campus.
These senior doctors had earlier turned down the Chief minister’s personal appeal to them last night requesting them to take full charge of the treatment of patients in absence of junior medicos. She stated in her letter that she would be very ‘obliged and honoured’ if senior doctors and professors would come forward and ‘take care for the smooth running of all government hospitals’ at the present juncture.
Meanwhile, in another development providing a shot in the arm to the demand of striking doctors, well known filmmaker and former actor Aparna Sen, along with popular theatre personality Kaushik Sen, singer Debashish Mishra and several other intellectuals today went to NRS hospital and speaking before the agitating doctors urged the Chief Minister to shed her ego and ‘come to the hospital at once to talk to the agitating junior doctors to end the impasse once and for all’.
‘We are not representing the state authorities, but have come here as ordinary citizens of this country who are feeling great pain to see the condition of hapless patients as they are also being deprived of treatment ‘,they said and reiterated their appeal to the Chief Minister to come forward and resolve the issue at the earliest.
Meanwhile,barring the partial running of Emergency department in some hospitals,the overall medical services in the state have now come to a standstill with thousands of junior doctors in all government hospitals staying away from the duty for almost the 5th day today and have reconfirmed their determination to continue their strike unless it was resolved amicably.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister gave an ultimatum to the striking junior doctors in all government hospitals in the state and asked them very rudely at SSKM hospital here yesterday ‘either join duty within four hours or face stern administrative action’. She also described the agitating doctors as ‘outsiders’ generating huge protests not only among them but also among all sections of people.
But on the other hand, as a result of this statewide strike, thousands of hapless patients have been suffering and facing untold miseries in absence of any treatment anywhere in the state leading to some protests against the agitating doctors in some districts also.
According to unconfirmed reports, altogether four people have so far lost their lives because of lack of treatment in a few government hospitals since Monday last.
