Kolkata Junior Doctors’ hunger strike: IPGMEMR & SSKM hospital doctors threaten mass resignation if demands not met

The move comes after senior doctors at RG Kar submitted a mass resignation, and the Faculty of Medical College & Hospital Kolkata issued a similar ultimatum earlier today
Kolkata Junior Doctors’ hunger strike: IPGMEMR & SSKM hospital doctors threaten mass resignation if demands not met
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In a significant escalation of the ongoing protests by junior doctors following the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital rape-and-murder case, the senior medical faculty at the Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research & Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial (IPGMER & SSKM) Hospital, Kolkata, issued an ultimatum to the West Bengal Government – to meet the doctors’ demands, or they resign en masse.

The move comes after senior doctors at RG Kar submitted a mass resignation, and the Faculty of Medical College & Hospital Kolkata issued a similar ultimatum earlier today, October 8.

In a press release, the doctors of IPGMER & SSKM expressed their deep concerns over the deteriorating health of their colleagues of junior doctors protesting in Kolkata, some of whom have been on an indefinite hunger strike in Dharmatala.

The press release hails the doctor for their fight for what are described as "rational" and "justified" demands.

"We, the doctors of IPGMER & SSKM Kolkata have strived to provide optimum service to the patients till now. However, the present scenario is making it increasingly difficult to provide essential service to the patient," the press release stated.

The doctors strongly condemned the government’s "apathetic attitude" toward the junior doctors’ plight, further emphasising the worsening health of the fasting doctors and demanding that the government take immediate action.

“We… strongly condemn the apathetic attitude towards justified democratic demands and remain extremely concerned about the deteriorating health condition of the protesting doctors fasting until death,” the doctors say.

Urging the state government to treat this matter as an “utmost priority” and take stock of the health of their junior doctors on the hunger strike, the doctors of IPGMER & SSKM urged that the former’s justified demands be met at the earliest – failing at which, they would submit their resignations en masse.

In support of the Junior Doctors, two professors from the North Bengal Medical College in Darjeeling also launched a symbolic fast, urging the West Bengal government to pay heed to their demands.

To recall, seven junior doctors from various medical colleges, including one from RG Kar Hospital, started an indefinite hunger strike on the night of Saturday, October 5 in Kolkata, alleging that the West Bengal Government had not met their demands.

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