West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday upped the ante against the agitating junior doctors and posted a message on Facebook terming the agitating doctors as outsiders and their protest as gathering of political parties.
Mamata said in her Faecbook post that an unfortunate incident took place in NRS Hospital and she had asked the Minister of State, Health and Family Welfare, Chandrima Bhattacharjee to visit the injured junior doctor who was assualted by at the NRS Hospital on Tuesday allegedly by family members of a deceased patient who blamed medical negligence for the death.
The West Bengal chief minister added that she also asked Bhattacharjee to talk to a section of the junior doctors who are agitating and request them to withdraw the agitation as people are not getting treatment.
Here is the full text of Mamata Banerjee's post:
An unfortunate incident took place in NRS Hospital 3 days ago. I sent my colleague, Chandrima Bhattacharjee, Minister-of-State, Health and Family Welfare to visit the injured doctor and talk to a section of the junior doctors who are agitating and request them to withdraw the agitation as people are not getting treatment. Cancer patients, kidney patients, accident victims, even children coming from distant places are suffering for not getting treatment.
I sent Commissioner of Police, Kolkata to talk to the junior doctors. 5 persons have been arrested and their bail prayers were rejected by Ld Court. Our government has taken full care of the injured doctor. We pray that he recovers quickly. As per information received, he is stable and improving. That day, one person died and complaint of negligence of treatment has been lodged. An enquiry has been started to look into the issues from all sides.
We have taken all necessary action whatever required - our Additional Chief Secretary, Health visited the injured doctor and met a section of the agitating junior doctors and appealed to them to resume services. Our government is giving full co-operation and taking all necessary action. But, in spite of that, provocations are coming from other political parties, which no one should fall trapped into.
Today when I visited SSKM, I saw gatherings of outsiders of different political parties shouting slogans in hospital silence zones and stopping emergency services. Patient parties are crying and outdoor services are closed. I sent some patients to private hospitals for immediate treatment.
I am grateful to senior doctors and professors who are offering full services to the people. My humble regards to them for their cooperation. Some misinformation/disinformation being spread on social media by some political parties are completely untrue. I am uploading some pictures of suffering patient parties that I saw in SSKM today. Health service is always dedicated to the patients.
I, therefore, appeal to all to restore normal healthcare services to the patients without any further delay.
Jai Hind, Jai Bangla
Earlier on Thursday, Mamata also wrote a letter to senior doctors and professors of Medical Colleges & Hospitals across the state appealing to them to take care of all patients in the state. In her letter, Mamata mentioned that poor people from all districts are coming to hospitals for treatment and they must be treated properly.
The West Bengal chief minister on Thursday tried to put pressure on protesting junior doctors by asking them to resume work by 2:00 pm on Thursday or they would be evacuated from the hostel where they reside. The protesting junior doctors, however, refused to end their strike and demanded that the government must first esnure the safety and security of doctors working at state-run hospitals.
