11-Sep-2024 01:42 PM
7855
Kolkata, Sep 11 (Reporter) West Bengal doctors on Wednesday continued their protest outside the state health secretariat demanding the resignation of three top department officials but conveyed to the Chief Minister’s Office that they want to hold talks only with Mamata Banerjee for ending the deadlock.
The agitation, launched after the murder of a woman doctor in R G Kar Medical College & Hospital on August 9, entered its 34th day on Wednesday with doctors even ignoring a Supreme Court direction to return to work by Tuesday evening.
A doctor, who spent the night at the protest site, said, "We are open for talks at any time and at any place provided the highest authority invites us and the doctors’ delegation has at least 25 members."
On Wednesday, the doctors communicated through an email to the Chief Minister’s Office that they were ready for any discussion to resolve the deadlock, if the invitation comes through the highest office.
The medics, under the umbrella of West Bengal Junior Doctors Front, on Tuesday refused to go to the secretariat. following an invitation from the principal health secretary. State Junior Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee left her chamber at 7.30 pm on Tuesday after the doctors did not turn up for talks.
A representative of the doctors said on Wednesday, "Our demands stand firm - the resignation of health department’s top three officials and Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal."
The protesting doctors alleged that the top cop and three health officials were responsible for tampering with the scene where the murder took place in the R G Kar Hospital.
While the doctors continued shouting slogans through the night they were joined by many senior doctors and common people who also provided refreshments to the agitators.
The parents of the murdered doctor also joined the medics at midnight to demand justice.
Last month, agitating doctors had met Kolkata Police Commissioner Goyal and handed him a memorandum urging him to step down.
Debashish Haldar, a protester, said the city police chief assured them that if the highest authority (CM) directs him to quit he would do so...////...