Jr doctors give 48-hours deadline to CM Mamata to meet their demands, threaten with statewide strike

The junior doctors' agitation in West Bengal reached a critical point on Friday as hunger strikers, who have been fasting for 14 days, issued a 48-hour deadline for the state government to meet their ten-point list of demands. The doctors have called for a statewide strike across both public and private health sectors on Tuesday if the demands are not met by Monday.

The decision was made following a meeting of senior and junior doctors at Calcutta Medical College, where mounting frustration led to the issuance of the ultimatum. The demands include critical improvements to hospital security, which has been a central issue throughout the protest.

Debashis Halder, a junior doctor leading the protest, addressed the press after the meeting. “We are in talks with senior doctors and associations like the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front, and we've decided to give the government until Monday to fulfill all of our demands. We expect Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to engage in direct discussions with us to resolve these issues,” he said. Halder added that if their demands are ignored, they will have no choice but to go ahead with a general strike on Tuesday.

The ongoing hunger strike, spearheaded by prominent doctors including Dr. Arnab Mukherjee, Dr. Snigdha Hazra, and Dr. Sayantani Ghosh Hazra, has garnered significant attention. The doctors have been pressing the government to address long-standing concerns, particularly related to hospital safety and better working conditions for medical professionals.

Among the ten-point demands, a key issue has been the need for enhanced security measures in hospitals to prevent incidents of violence against medical staff. The doctors have also called for more efficient administrative protocols and better infrastructure across healthcare facilities in West Bengal.

The hunger strike has grown into a larger movement, with growing solidarity among senior doctors and other health workers. The West Bengal Junior Doctors Front has been actively supporting the strike, and the prospect of a broader healthcare strike now threatens to paralyze the state's health services.

As the 48-hour deadline approaches, all eyes are on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has yet to directly engage with the hunger-striking doctors. While there have been reports of internal discussions within the state administration, the hunger strikers insist that only a direct dialogue with the Chief Minister will suffice.