Urging the protesting junior doctors to end their hunger strike and resume duty, the West Bengal government on Monday assured to complete the installation of CCTV cameras in all the medical colleges in the state in the next three days.
At a press conference at Nabanna, the state secretariat, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said the state government was fully committed to providing a safe workplace and urged the protesting medics to see the government’s actions in a “positive light”.
“We have to install 7,015 CCTV cameras in the 28 medical colleges in the state. We have done 45% of the work, that is 3,081 CCTV cameras have already been installed in different government-run hospitals. We are expecting to complete the CCTV installation work before October 10,” Pant, accompanied by Principal Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, said.
The chief secretary said that a panic button or an alarm system will be installed in state-run medical institutions, as demanded by the protesting junior doctors, by November 1. He also announced to launch a pilot project of a “referral system” on October 15.
“We are expecting to launch this referral system by the first week of November… In the referral system, real-time bed availability will be shown, and hospitals could thereby refer patients accordingly,” the chief secretary said.
He said that restrooms and toilets will be completed by the end of October as 65 per cent of the work has already been done.
“We have no differences and we are doing these in a positive manner. We are requesting junior doctors to see all these things (actions taken by the government) in a positive light and end hunger strike. We are requesting junior doctors to join work. I must say that many of them have already resumed duty. The rest of them should also return to work as soon as possible,” Pant added.
The junior doctors, who went on a total “cease work” following the rape and murder of their colleague at state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, had called off their strike on October 4.
The protesting doctors emphasised that securing justice for the deceased woman medic is their foremost priority. They have also called for immediate removal of Health Secretary Nigam as well as accountability for the alleged administrative incompetence and action against corruption in the department.
Other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges, implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, formation of task forces to ensure provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces. They also demand increased police protection in hospitals, recruitment of permanent women police personnel.
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