As Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has gone to war against the doctors in the state, the medical fraternity across the country has hit the streets against Mamata Banerjee following the continuous attacks against junior doctors in West Bengal.
After receiving serious flak for mishandling the situation, Mamata Banerjee had escalated the ongoing crisis in West Bengal by blaming ‘outsiders’ and the BJP for the series of protests by medical professionals in the state.
However, protesting doctors in the state have unanimously refuted the claims of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by categorically stating that they were all doctors belonging to the state and not outsiders as claimed by WB Chief Minister.
“I am shameful of my chief minister right now about the condition. If she wants it, she can solve it. She can take actions but she is denying it. She is denying justice…There are no outsiders behind this movement. Mamata Banerjee wants to run away from the situation and trying to make it political,” said a protesting doctor at NRS Hospital in Kolkata.
#DoctorsFightBack | ‘We are not outsiders,’ say protesting doctors at NRS Hospital in Kolkata in unanimous response to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. Tune in for #LIVE updates as doctors from across the country show solidarity with them https://t.co/LGCyJUEBn5 pic.twitter.com/Ujz5bHqVeo
— Republic (@republic) June 14, 2019
“We are doctors fighting here for white aprons. We are not outsiders. We are not CPM or BJP,” said another resident doctor refuting West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
#DoctorsFightBack | ‘We are doctors, we are not CPM, we are not BJP, we are not outsiders, we are doctors!,’ say protesting doctors at NRS Hospital in Kolkata refuting West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, even as doctors from across India stand with them https://t.co/LGCyJUEBn5 pic.twitter.com/C0dRZfqxto
— Republic (@republic) June 14, 2019
Another group of protesting doctors expressed dismay regarding the inability of the Mamata Banerjee government to take action against the culprits who had attacked the doctors.
“We are not just angry. We are losing hope now as this is too much now. We did not become doctors to get beaten by the public like this. People need to understand that we are not Gods,” said Dr Manu Gautam, the President of URDA, one of the largest associations of resident doctors. The resident doctors further added that the interns and resident doctors work 36-42 hours continuously in the most inhumane conditions in West Bengal.
#EXCLUSIVE – We’re losing hope now, this is too much. We didn’t become doctors to get beaten by the public. People need to understand that we are not Gods: Dr. Manu Gautam (President, URDA) tells CNN-News18’s @sagargupta281. | #SaveTheDoctors #MedicalMayhem pic.twitter.com/WlfCE4lBHU
— News18 (@CNNnews18) June 14, 2019
As a form of protest, 16 doctors of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata have resigned demanding an apology from the Chief Minister for her remarks. OpIndia.com has accessed the resignation letters of 16 doctors at the institution. In the letter submitted to the Director of Medical Educations and Executive Officio Secretary of the Health & Family Welfare Department (HFWD), the doctors said that the situation was “not ideal” for patient care service. In light of the current circumstances, as they were unable to render their services, the doctors submitted their resignations.
On Thursday, Professor Saibal Kumar Mukherjee and Professor Saurabh Chattopadhyay had also resigned as the Principal and Vice-Principal respectively of NRS Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata after violence against doctors at the hospital on June 10th. The senior doctors have resigned as a protest against Mamata Banerjee government for not taking against the mob who had attacked the junior doctors.
Following the attacks on doctors in West Bengal, several doctors across the country have decided to boycott work for a day to express solidarity with their protesting colleagues in West Bengal. The India Medical Association has also declared “All India Protest Day” on Friday against the incident and expressed solidarity with the striking doctors.
