Discussions between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and protesting junior doctors aimed at resolving the ongoing crisis following the rape and murder of a medic at RG Kar Medical College took place for nearly two hours on Monday evening, October 21.
During the meeting, the two sides addressed various demands from the doctors, including concerns about the "threat culture" prevalent in state-run hospitals, said a report by PTI.
The meeting, held on the 17th day of the fast unto death by a section of protesting doctors, was streamed live for the first time from the state secretariat Nabanna.
Banerjee urged the junior doctors to end their fast, asserting that most of their demands had been met, although she rejected their request for the removal of the state health secretary.
"At RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, several junior doctors and medical students were suspended without following proper procedures. How can these students or resident doctors be suspended based solely on complaints? Who granted the college authorities the right to take such actions without informing the state government? Isn’t this a threat culture?" she questioned.
In response, Aniket Mahato, an agitating doctor who was hospitalised after five days of fasting, stated that those suspended "have been very much part of the threat culture and don't deserve to be doctors.
"If needed, the state government can assess their performance and then decide. The atmosphere at the medical college has been poisoned by these individuals masquerading as students. A review of their answer sheets would show that they don't even deserve passing marks," he added.
The Chief Minister has promised to look into their demands.
