Demands of jr doctors justified, says Abhishek, urges end to cease-work
Times of India | 19 September 2024
Kolkata: Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and senior ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya and Bratya Basu on Wednesday urged protesting junior doctors to return to work and collaborate with the state to help implement infrastructure and security upgrades at hospitals.
Backing several demands made by the protesting junior doctors, Banerjee wrote on X: “Since day one, I have supported the doctors in their concerns regarding safety and security, and I have always maintained that most of their concerns, barring a few, are valid, sensible, and justified.”
Saying the state had sought 14 days to scale up hospital security in the SC, Banerjee said, “As per SC’s directions and the Bengal govt’s submission before the SC yesterday, most of the measures for improving their safety and security are in progress, including the installation of CCTV cameras and infrastructural developments in Medical Colleges and Hospitals across West Bengal, which are expected to be completed within 14 days.” He also said that the state had honoured doctors’ demands for transferring certain top officials.
Banerjee said, “As a gesture of goodwill, the doctors should now consider CALLING OFF THE STRIKE AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH GoWB to serve the people and expedite the implementation of the task force’s initiatives to ensure these changes are promptly executed.”
Taking a dig at CBI, he said, “Lastly, it is crucial to hold the CBI accountable and ensure that no perpetrators are spared, with swift punishment handed down at the earliest opportunity. The CBI’s record speaks for itself: over the past 10 years, they have not completed a single investigation they have undertaken. JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED.”
Reposting Banerjee’s post, minister of state for health and family affairs Bhattacharya wrote: “Doctors should rise to the occasion and call off their cease-work as GoWB stands to meet their demands. The lives of the people can no longer be overlooked!” State education minister Bratya Basu posted, “GoWB has taken all necessary steps to ensure normalcy in the state’s healthcare system. We request the doctors to collaborate and end their cease-work before more lives are lost!”