Didi VS Docs Latest Updates
The doctors’ protest in West Bengal entered its fifth day as Mamata Banerjee’s belligerence provoked a united stand from doctors in the state and across the country.
A general body meeting was held by doctors at NRS in which it was decided that junior doctors wouldn’t go to Nabanna – the which houses the state secretariat of West Bengal. The CM had called a meeting at 5 PM to end the impasse.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry met a received a representational from doctors who expressed their concerns for the safety and security in view of the ongoing strike in West Bengal.
Read: TMC MPs Dev and Mimi support docs
Meanwhile, TMC MP from Jadavpur and actor Mimi Chakrabarti joined the chorus of criticism against the state government's high-handedness in the protest by doctors. She wrote in a post on Twitter: "I was down with severe stomach infection and 103 fever since last afternoon. I was panicking as I have a flight to take today which is incredibily a long way down had already gave up hopes that I could make it anymore, but I am thankful that my Doctor came to my rescue and with proper medication and a proper diet i see hopes of not cancelling my trip anymore. She added: "Our society is on a balance where everyone and everything in some way or the other is very important and dependant on each other. May we see light sooner."
Many relatives of the TMC leaders too backed the doctors stir. They included Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abesh Banerjee, state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim's daughter Shabba and son of TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.
Meanwhile, doctors at AIIMS have given Banerjee a 48-hour ultimatum to meet demands for the striking doctors.
Resident Doctors Association, AIIMS said: “We issue an ultimatum of 48 hours to West Bengal Govt to meet demands of the striking doctors there, failing which we would be forced to resort to indefinite strike at AIIMS.”
Meanwhile, Banerjee’s 5 PM meeting with senior doctors is also unlikely to be held after the junior doctors of NRS turned down the CM’s invite.
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The IMA had previously called for a protest on Friday, but later in the day asked for the protests to continue over the weekend, and a nationwide withdrawal of non-essential services in all health care institutions on June 17.
All emergency and casualty services will continue to function, IMA, which represents nearly 350,000 doctors in the country, said. The federal health minister Harsh Vardhan called for doctors to be protected.
"The government must pass a law to make any attack on doctors a non-bailable offence with minimum 12 years of jail," Vardhan, who is himself a doctor, said on Twitter.
Mamata Banerjee – who is known for streetfighter style agitational politics while in the opposition and even as WB CM when she went on dharna against CBI recently – got a taste of her own medicine. How this will end is anyone’s guess?
1. Didi vs Doctors: Live updates
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NRS junior doctors sit for another General body meeting to decide the fate of the strike. They are going to discuss the assurances given by CM Mamata Banerjee on providing security at hospital campus and strict action against the accused in assault of doctors case.
On junior doctors demand of CM tendering apology, Mamata said press should apologise on her behalf.
What we have done, others will not do. We have had enough patience. I have spoken to the Governor, he is convinced. When Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) was in Gujarat (as Chief Minister), they arrested doctors and invoked ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act). Invoking ESMA would mean affecting the careers of these young doctors then we are willing to wait.
On TMC leader’s son and daughters who are junior doctors expressing dissent on role of the govt, Mamata says they are doctors and they have to stay with their community.
I will appeal to them through media. Please join work and please restore normalcy: Mamata Banerjee appeals to junior doctors to resume work
All action was taken to end this stalemate. I sent my secretaries of the govt, ministers, commissioner of police, still junior doctors are not listening. They are saying no to talk to me. They did not turn up. If you have problem with me, you may talk to the governor, secretaries. These are essential services which cannot be stopped: Mamata Banerjee on junior doctors strike
Even police gets attacked. We can control incidents 99%. But if 1% incidents are happening we have to take action. People had immediately intervened. Five persons were immediately arrested but were granted bail by court: Mamata Banrejee on attack on doctors at NRS Hospital
CP, Additional secretary, health was sent to hold discussions with them. Director, Medical Education was sent to speak to junior doctors. They protested on his arrival. Some outsiders and intellectuals have joined this movement. Government has to run properly and abide by the Constitution: Mamata
There is some political interference in the junior doctors agitation. When govt is inviting you for talks, still you are refusing: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
I have appealed to the doctors and the health fraternity. That we are taking all steps. Join work at earliest. Medical council can cancel the licenses. I have details where several states have invoked ESMA in such cases. We believe in democracy. Despite five days of strike we haven’t arrested anyone or cancelled the registrations. Nor issued ESMA. I waited for 5 hrs yesterday still junior doctors didn’t come. I cancelled all events today to solve this problem. I was waiting even today but they still didn’t come. They didn’t send a delegation too: Mamata
Today thousands of patients are suffering. In Burdwan, Murshidabad people have died without treatment. You must have seen when I was in SSKM. There was a patient who would have died without treatment. I was going to check whether the emergency was working or not. Agitating doctors pushed me. They hurled abuses at me. Still I told Police not to take action against them as they are young. They make mistakes: Mamata Banerjee
Mamata speaks now: After 10th the govt has taken continuous efforts to resolve this. On 11th junior health minister was there at the hospital. I told Chandrima (Chandrima Bhattacharya, MoS Health) that I want to speak to the agitating doctors. She said that they do not want to speak to me. This is humiliation
The govt wants to end the stalemate situation. All demands will be met which are practical: Malay De
We wanted to speak to them but they refused. We have reassured them. We are going to provide security round the clock. In case of any untoward incident, action will be taken: Chief Secy
The assaulted doctor is better, stable and the govt is bearing the cost of his treatment: Chief Secy
Govt has taken all legal steps regarding the violence. We have spoken to the agitating junior doctors too: Malay De
West Bengal Chief secretary Malay De: The interns at NRS are protesting and are concerned about the security of the hospital
Mamata to address media at 6 pm
Senior doctors join Health Secretary’s meet at Nabanna. CM Mamata Banerjee chairing the meeting but no Junior doctors present.
No meeting between Mamata Banerjee and junior doctors today
2. Docs hand out six conditions
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With striking junior doctors refusing to meet her, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday invited them again to meet her Saturday evening to end the impasse in government hospitals.
The doctors, who struck work for the fourth day Friday, refused to meet the chief minister, demanding an unconditional apology from her.
They also put up six conditions for withdrawal of their stir.
"We want an unconditional apology from Chief Minister Banerjee for the manner in which she addressed us at the SSKM Hospital yesterday. She should not have said what she said. She should come to the NRS Hospital to meet us," said Dr Arindam Dutta, a spokesperson of the joint forum of junior doctors.
After her visit to the state-run SSKM Hospital Thursday, Banerjee had alleged some outsiders had entered the medical colleges to create disturbances.
She had also dubbed the agitation as a handiwork of the CPI(M) and the BJP.
3. Docs defy Didi
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She had also asked the agitating junior doctors across the state to resume work by 2 pm, failing which she had threatened them with disciplinary actions. The doctors had defied her warning.
State Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, meanwhile, said he had called up Banerjee to discuss the issue of doctors' strike but got no response from her.
"I tried to contact the chief minister. I called her up. Till this moment there is no response from her. If she calls me up, we will discuss the matter," he told reporters after visiting injured junior doctor Paribaha Mukhopadhyay at the hospital.
Mukhopadhyay is one of the two junior doctors attacked by the relatives of a patient, who died at the NRS Medical College and Hospital here Monday night.
The attack on the doctors triggered the ongoing state-wide stir by medicos.
Banerjee, however, held a two-hour-long meeting with senior doctors, who were not part of the strike, and invited the agitating doctors for talks at the secretariat Nabanna tonight.
4. Docs demand evidence of action
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After the protesting doctors refused to meet the chief minister, dubbing the invitation as a ploy to derail their stir, she invited them yet again to meet her at 5 pm Saturday at Nabanna. Informing about the chief minister's second invitation, senior physician Sukumar Mukherjee said, "We hope some junior doctors will turn up." The agitating doctors earlier stipulated six conditions for breaking the logjam.
Chief Minister Banerjee must visit the injured doctors at the hospital and issue a statement condemning the attack on them.
Seeking immediate intervention of the chief minister, the doctors also demanded a judicial probe into the police inaction in providing security to doctors at the Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital against attack on Monday night.
"We demand documentary evidence and details of the action taken against those who attacked us," said Dutta.
The agitators also demanded unconditional withdrawal of all "false cases and charges" imposed on junior doctors and medical students across West Bengal for going on strike.
They also sought improvement of security infrastructure in all health facilities and posting of armed police personnel to shield them from any attack while on duty.
5. Over 200 docs resign
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Over 200 senior doctors of various government hospitals across the state resigned from their services to show solidarity with agitators.
In his resignation letter, Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine director, Dr P Kundu, said entire medical fraternity of the state fully support the agitation by the doctors of NRS Medical College and Hospital and other government hospitals against the "brutal" attack on medicos during duty.
As the medical fraternity from Delhi, Maharashtra, Odisha, Jharkhand and other states began to rally behind their West Bengal colleagues, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan urged Banerjee not to make the "sensitive matter" a "prestige issue" and ensure an "amicable end" to the stir.
Several prominent personalities like filmmaker Aparna Sen, rights activist Binayak Sen, thespian Kaushik Sen, film director Kamaleshwar Mukherjee and musician Debojyoti Mishra along with many senior doctors, visited the agitators at the NRS Medical College and Hospital to register their support to the agitating doctors.
They later participated in a rally holding placards with a message "No more violence, enough is enough".
The Calcutta High Court, meanwhile, refused to pass any interim order on the strike.
Many relatives of the TMC leaders too backed the doctors stir.
They include Banerjee's nephew Abesh Banerjee, state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim's daughter Shabba and son of TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.
