Junior Doctors Protest at West Bengal Secretariat for Second Round of Talks

GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 18th Sept. A group of junior doctors continued their protest on Wednesday evening, arriving at the West Bengal state secretariat, Nabanna, for a second round of talks with the government regarding the RG Kar issue. The delegation, consisting of around 30 medics, reached the secretariat at approximately 7:15 PM, escorted by a police vehicle.

The doctors are scheduled to meet with Chief Secretary Manoj Pant. One of the protesting doctors emphasized the need for the state to address safety and security concerns in hospitals, expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity regarding the task force announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “We want the state government to accept our legitimate demands,” the doctor stated before the meeting.

The West Bengal government had invited the junior doctors for the meeting in response to their request for renewed discussions. This meeting marks the second round of talks within 48 hours, following the initial discussion with Chief Minister Banerjee on Monday.

Despite recent administrative changes, including the appointment of Manoj Kumar Verma as the new Kolkata Police chief and the removal of two senior health department officials, the junior doctors announced they would continue their sit-in and not return to duty. They described the state’s administrative actions as a “partial victory,” noting that their demand for the removal of State Health Secretary N. S. Nigam had not yet been addressed.