• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:52 PM (IST)
  • Source:ANI
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Bengal Doctors Strike: Protesting junior doctors across West Bengal will return to work on Saturday (September 21), the outfit spearheading the agitation over the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor announced. The junior doctors' resumption of work will, however, remain limited to providing essential services, the protest leaders clarified. 

"OPD and OT services will remain suspended because we want to ensure that measures are taken to ensure the security of female colleagues," they said. While making the announcement on Thursday, the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum (WBJDF) stressed that the movement was far from over and that the medicos would continue their struggle for justice "in a new way".

A march from Swasthya Bhavan (West Bengal health secretary headquarters), where junior doctors have been camping since September 10, to Central Government Office (CGO) complex on Friday will mark the end of the ongoing strike, the WBJDF declared. Notably, the CGO complex in Kolkata houses the office of CBI, which is probing the RG Kar rape-murder case.

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The junior doctors' announcement for the partial end to their 'cease work' came hours after the Mamata Banerjee-led state government issued a set of directives regarding safety and security of healthcare workers at hospitals and medical colleges.

"On the 41st day of the protest, West Bengal Junior Doctors Front wants to say that we achieved a lot during our agitation, but many things remain unachieved... We made the Kolkata Commissioner of Police resign and the DME, DHS resign. But this doesn't mean the agitation is over. We will take it forward in a new way," the WBJDF announced.

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It added, "We have received a directive from Nabanna after our meeting with the Chief Secretary yesterday. In the directive, we have been assured that safety and security implementations will be made, but it has not been specified when."

The outfit further said, "Threat culture has claimed the life of 'Abhaya' (the popular monicker for the victim)... We still demand that the principal secretary be removed and action be taken on threat culture... We will keep a close watch on the administration after we resume our duties... If we find anything out of place, we will come back stronger."

The collective also said they would closely monitor the Supreme Court on the case. "Our agitation will continue. Justice for Abhaya will always be our priority and our eyes are on the Supreme Court hearing and on the steps taken by the government," it stated.

(With inputs from ANI)