The protesting junior doctors of Bengal have hardened their stance after the 5 pm “back to work” deadline from the Supreme Court. Not only have they flatly refused to comply, they have also given a counter-deadline to the state government, saying it must meet their demands by 5 pm today, failing which they would hold a sit-down protest outside the health secretariat.
Hundreds of doctors are now marching towards Swastha Bhavan, located in Salt Lake on the outskirts of the city.
The five-point demand includes the resignation of a string of people, starting with city police chief Vineet Goyal. The list also includes senior officials of the health ministry.
The doctors” move has set them on a collision course with the state government, though Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that she is not willing to take action against them for now and would prefer to solve the issue through dialogue.
The government has claimed that patient care has been suffering at hospitals due to the month-long protests. The doctors have denied it, accusing the government of attempting to sabotage the protest. The junior doctors have pointed out that compared to 93.000 registered doctors in the state, their number is only 7,500.
In view of that, the government’s claim that the healthcare system in the state has collapsed due to the protest is a blatant falsehood, they have said.
