Did Bengal Chief Secretary decline to provide signed minutes of meeting to protesting doctors?

The email detailed the points discussed and agreed upon, as well as those that were not, as requested by the state, which is expected to issue directives based on this communication
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Today, Thursday, September 19, Kolkata’s agitating junior doctors submitted a draft outlining the key points from their discussions with the West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant.

They are now awaiting the state's response to their proposals, according to a report by PTI.

"The government acknowledged that most of our demands were just and required immediate action. However, we were disappointed when the Chief Secretary declined to provide signed minutes of the meeting," a doctor stated.

The email detailed the points discussed and agreed upon, as well as those that were not, as requested by the state, which is expected to issue directives based on this communication.

The recent talks between junior doctors and state officials on Wednesday night, September 18, failed to resolve the ongoing impasse. The doctors have been on strike for 40 days since the brutal killing of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital came to light on August 9.

Cease work to continue

The medics expressed their dissatisfaction with the state's refusal to provide written minutes of the meeting and announced that they would continue their agitation and "cease work" movement until the government issues written directives addressing safety and security concerns for doctors in state-run hospitals, as previously agreed.

"While the talks went smoothly, the government did not provide signed, written minutes of the issues discussed. We feel let down and disappointed by the government's attitude," Dr Aniket Mahato, one of the protesting doctors told PTI.

The second round of discussions took place at the state secretariat, Nabanna, with a delegation of 30 junior doctors and the state-level public healthcare task force led by Pant. The first round was held with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence on Monday, September 16.

The doctors are maintaining their sit-in demonstration in front of Swasthya Bhawan, the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake, which has now entered its tenth day.

Key points

The protesting doctors raised concerns about their safety within state-run hospitals and discussed the formulation and functions of the promised task force. They also addressed issues related to transparency in patient referral systems, bed allocation, recruitment of healthcare workers, and the prevailing "threat culture" on campuses.

Additionally, they advocated for better representation of students in unions, hostels, and decision-making bodies of hospitals, the establishment of college-level task forces, and the holding of elections for college councils and resident doctors' associations.

During the meeting on Wednesday, September 18, one major point of contention was the state’s refusal to initiate a departmental inquiry against Health Secretary NS Nigam following the alleged crime at RG Kar hospital.

The minutes from the meeting also revealed that the state government requested the medics to send four to five representatives to the state task force on safety and security, but the doctors proposed broader representation from all medical colleges.

Both parties agreed on implementing a central directive to deploy women police officers for night patrols, installation of panic buttons by department, and establishment of helplines for prompt intervention.

The doctors emphasised that their demands are closely linked to preventing incidents like the one at RG Kar hospital from happening again.

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