Kolkata Medical Strike Continues as Government Fails to Meet Doctors’ Key Demands

The second round of talks between junior doctors and the West Bengal government ended without any progress. This will extend the 40-day strike. The doctors are unhappy with the outcome and they said they would continue their protest because the government refused to give them written records of the discussions.

Despite receiving “verbal assurances” on various safety and security measures in hospitals, the doctors were left frustrated by the lack of documented commitments from the government, despite repeated requests. Although unsigned minutes were issued later in the day, this did little to appease the medics.

A doctor said, “We are not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. While the government agreed on several issues regarding hospital safety, no concrete assurances were given.” 

This meeting was led by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, and marked a change in approach from the previous session, which had been headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The doctors noted a more positive tone during the earlier discussions but described the most recent talks as disappointing. Another doctor explained that “We have been asked to provide a draft of our other demands to the Chief Secretary, who will then review it.”

Doctors also brought stenographers to document the meeting, similar to the setup during the earlier discussion with CM Banerjee at her Kalighat residence. However, their key demands remain unmet.

What Are the Demands of the Doctors?

After the high-profile rape and murder case, doctors are demanding about the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the Principal Health Secretary for alleged misconduct over the years. They also want broader representation in the state task force on hospital safety and security. The government has suggested including 4-5 medical representatives in this task force.

CM Mamata Banerjee had started important changes after the doctor’s demands and strikes. She transferred Kolkata Police Chief Vineet Goyal. The new Police Chief is Manoj Kumar Verma. Apart from this she also removed two senior officials from the health department in Kolkata. Both sides also agreed to implement central directives aimed at enhancing hospital security. In changing measures include adding women police officers for night patrolling, installing panic buttons in hospital departments and setting up helplines for quick emergency response.

However, doctors were not impressed by these activities and the denied ending the strike. They said that will only return to work once “concrete and visible steps” are taken to address their concerns fully.