Protest but go back to work: Sr docs to juniors at RG Kar meet
Times of India | 4 October 2024
Kolkata: The message to junior doctors from their seniors was clear during a meeting of senior and junior medicos at R G Kar Medical College on Thursday — ‘resume work but carry on the agitation in some other form’. At the meeting, an internal one of R G Kar doctors, a major part of senior faculty members was unanimous in their opinion of continuing movement in some other form.
An undercurrent of opinions on going back to work was getting stronger after West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front called fresh cease-work from Tuesday.
Sources said a majority of juniors are now against a total cease-work.
The Thursday meeting was organised by junior doctors at the Platinum Jubilee Building of the hospital to take suggestions from their seniors. “Most seniors want us to resume work, at least partially, and resort to a different form of movement. We placed this input during pan-general body meeting of WBJDF on Thursday night,” said a junior doctor.
Senior faculty members, including heads of various departments, attended it. All said they were in complete solidarity with the demands of junior doctors but advised another form of agitation.
“We have been with the juniors from day one. While we will continue to support them, I appealed to them to come back to work and take another form of agitation,” said emergency medical officer Tapas Pramanick.
Some suggestions that seniors gave included agitation on dharna mancha on rotation while some of them work, events like conventions and rallies on certain days taking the public along.
“We all are on the same page with our junior doctors as far as their demands for justice and other issues are concerned. But we also have to keep in mind that patients do not suffer due to this. We are trying our best to keep healthcare service going. But we need the support of juniors,” said microbiology head Maitreyi Bandopadhyay.
Even as the OPD footfall at R G Kar had dipped to a mere 300-400 right after the cease-work following the rape-murder of the 31-year-old chest medicine PGT, the hospital said the number has already picked up, with close to 4,000 patients daily. “All their demands are justified and we expect more changes in the health system due to their movement. But prolonging the complete cease-work is going to dent a hole in the mass support they have been getting,” said a faculty member of gastroenterology.