Kolkata: A day after announcing to partially call of their strike in the wake of Bengal floods, junior doctors on Friday marched to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) office in Salt Lake. The agitating doctors have been on ‘cease-work’ protest for 40 days seeking justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
To mark the withdrawal of their 10-day demonstration near the state health department headquarters, Swasthya Bhawan, the medics organised the procession from their protest site to the CGO Complex, a distance of around 4 km. The junior doctors demanded a quick wrap-up of the investigation into the case. The CBI, probing the case, took over the investigation following Calcutta High Court's order.
#WATCH | RG Kar Rape and Murder Case | West Bengal Junior Doctors Front holds a protest march from Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata’s Salt Lake area to the CGO complex demanding the CBI to fast-track the investigation.Junior doctors called off their strike and will return to work on… pic.twitter.com/iCXQG4oSJR
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2024
Doctors To Lift Cease-Work From Saturday
Ending the logjam, the junior doctors had on Thursday announced partial resumption of duties entailing the attending essential services in state-run hospitals from Saturday. The protesting doctors said they would not work in the Outpatient Department (OPD) but would partially work in emergency and essential services.
West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), the umbrella body spearheading the protest demonstrations, said that the doctors will to join back duty but only in the General Emergency Departments in different medical colleges and hospitals amid looming health crisis in the state.
The medics said that they would set up 'Abhaya Medical Camps' in the flood-affected regions in memory of the deceased doctor. “Given the flood situation in West Bengal and the state government agreeing to certain demands of ours, we will be rejoining emergency and essential services partially from Saturday,” an agitating doctor said after their general body meeting.
The decision comes after the state government agreed upon demands of the junior doctors including the removal of Kolkata Police Chief Vineet Goyal and directors of medical education and health services.
CBI Widens Probe
The CBI is interrogating former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh and Tala police station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondol for further leads. The two have been sent to custody till September 25. CBI has accused Ghosh and Mondol for delay in FIR and tampering of evidence.
The CBI on Friday also moved an application before Sealdah court seeking permission to conduct a polygraph test of Abhijit Mondol.