Mamata appeals to doctors to end fast, refuses to remove health secretary

PTI Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged the junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Hospital to end their fast-unto-death, stating that most of their demands have been addressed while rejecting their insistence on removing the state health secretary. Speaking to the doctors over the phone during a visit by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty to the protest site in Esplanade, Banerjee said, “Everybody has the right to protest, but it shouldn’t affect healthcare services.

I would request you all to withdraw your fast.” The junior doctors have been demanding the removal of the state Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, besides addressing other issues. In response, Banerjee acknowledged their frustration but said, “You know why I did not remove the health secretary. It is not possible to remove everybody in a department in one go. We had earlier removed the DHS and DME. Please rise above politics and rejoin work.” “How can you decide which officer will be removed or not? Is this logical?” she questioned. The junior doctors have been on a fast-unto-death for two weeks, demanding justice for their deceased colleague and calling for systemic changes in the state’s healthcare infrastructure. So far, six doctors on hunger strike have been hospitalised due to deteriorating health, while eight others remain on an indefinite fast, demanding that the state government take constructive action by October 1 to resolve the deadlock.