Kolkata: Doctors brave rain, set up makeshift structures at Sec V for long haul
Times of India | 14 September 2024
Doctors held Abhaya Clinic, where they checked more than 150 patients KOLKATA: Protesting junior doctors on Friday set up makeshift structures, with bamboo, tarpaulin and wooden platforms, outside Swasthya Bhavan, signalling their intention to stage the demonstration for an extended period.
This came a day after an attempt to resolve the stalemate failed, as the junior doctors refused to attend the meeting called by the chief minister.
The junior doctors, seeking justice for their colleague’s rape and murder, had on Tuesday shifted their protest site from RG Kar to outside the state health headquarters in Salt Lake Sector V, where they have been camping for the past four days. “Nothing can deter us. We have braved rain, heat, tremendous pressure from the state, but the love showered by thousands of strangers has kept us motivated in our fight. Thousands join us every day, offering us food, beverages and other essentials,” said a doctor, even as he checked the setting up of the “camp” 100m from Swasthya Bhavan.
The doctors reiterated that they were in no mood to leave till the officials met their demands, including removal of multiple health officials, resignation of the KP commissioner, action against former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh as well as a group of cops allegedly involved in evidence-tampering, better security on medical campuses and speedy punishment of culprits in the doctor’s rape-and-murder of the doctor.
The rain and thundershower could do little to dampen the protesters’ spirit as they continued to sing and shout slogans. Drenched, some made online appeals for clean, dry clothes and stronger and thicker tarpaulin sheets; everything arrived in two hours. Doctors held Abhaya Clinic on the pavement, where they continued to attend to patients even after sunset, when they used their cellphone torches for light. “We checked more than 150 patients, including people who joined our movement, security guards from the area and even cops. We gave them necessary medicines,” said Asadul Akunji, an intern from Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.
The existing food kiosks and tents were further organised. Meals cooked on JU’s Salt Lake campus continued to be sent to the doctors for lunch and dinner. A stream of delivery executives kept handing over food, ORS packs, cakes and biscuits, ordered mostly by anonymous senders for the doctors. Many others brought cartons of water and boxes of dry food. One of them was Priyansu Chakraborty, who drove from Jadavpur with his son, Swastik, with 200 water bottles and ORS sachets. Among those who joined the protesters was a class-IV boy, who contributed Rs 100 from his pocket money. Kanta Chakraborty, a resident of Sarsuna in Behala, arrived with mosquito repellent. She said, “The kids are protesting for us, sitting on the road at night. They may fall sick if bitten by mosquitoes.” Teachers from a private university also joined the gathering.