(MENAFN- Live Mint) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged junior doctors in Kolkata to withdraw their fast unto death and requested them to hold another round of talks with the government. She said she would meet them on Monday to further discuss their demands.
Banerjee said on Saturday,“Most of your demands fulfilled”, but asked them to give her three-to-four months more to meet the rest of their demands.
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She told the doctors she did not differ with their demands. "I request you to sit for talks with government," the West Bengal chief minister was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
"Please withdraw the agitation. Some of the demands need policy decisions. We will cooperate to the fullest extent possible but it is not acceptable that you will dictate to the government what should be done," she said.
“Everybody has right to protest, but it shouldn't affect healthcare services,” Mamata Banerjee added.
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According to PTI, Banerjee was speaking to the protesting doctors over the phone on Saturday afternoon. The conversation took lace when Chief Secretary Manoj Pant visited the site in Dharmatala where the junior doctors were sitting on fast unto death.
The junior doctors have been protesting over the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. They have been demanding justice for the 310-year-old rape and murder victim and safety of the doctors in the workplace premises.
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Their other demands include establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions such as CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
Prior to their ongoing fast-unto-death, the junior doctors went on a cease work following the rape-murder of their fellow medic at RG Ka hospital on August 9. They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21, following assurances from the state government to look into their demands.
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So far, six fasting doctors have been hospitalised after their health condition deteriorated. Eight doctors are currently on indefinite fast in Esplanade area while demanding that the state government act constructively by October 21 to end the impasse.
(With inputs from PTI)
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