A junior doctor addresses during the second day of their sit-in demonstration in front of Swasthya Bhawan over RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case, in Kolkata on Wednesday, September 11. | Photo Credit: ANI Amid the ongoing slugfest between the State Government and doctors, thousands of junior doctors continued a sit-in demonstration outside Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the Health Department, from Tuesday (September 10, 2024). The sit-in have surpassed nearly 48 hours now. The junior doctors started their sit-in from Tuesday (September 10) the day they were advised to join work by 5 p.m. by the Supreme Court. Junior doctors clearly stated that they won’t join work until their five demands are being met.They have demanded the suspension of top heath officials and police officials who were involved in “evidence tampering” and who tried to deliberately suppress the incident of rape and murder of the junior doctor. The junior doctors demanded an end to “threat culture” practised by ruling party in every medical colleges. Though the State Health Department wanted to talk with junior doctors on Tuesday (September 10), doctors rejected the proposal as the State Health Department allowed to meet a team of 15 doctors while protesting doctors have said they will only talk with the governments with a team of 30 doctors from 26 medical colleges. The protesting junior doctors reiterated many times from their sit-in that they want to talk to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and demanded their meeting to be live telecast.Today, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, in a mail addressing to the doctors, said that the meeting can be recorded for transparency, but he rejected doctors’ demand of live telecasting the meeting. Junior doctors from a press conference today (September 12, 2024), have said that they are going to Nabanna, State Secretariat of the Government of West Bengal, to meet the CM, but they have stated they are not going to hold the talk if the team of 30 doctors are not allowed.September 12, 2024 17:19 Five-point demands of the protesting doctorsThe five-point demands of the protesting doctors comprise punishment to all possible culprits involved in the rape, murder and the alleged tampering of evidence; disciplinary action against former R.G. Kar principal Sandip Kumar Ghosh; removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and disciplinary action against Deputy Commissioner, North, and Deputy Commissioner, Central; increased security for healthcare workers; and a remedy for the alleged ‘threat culture’ in government healthcare facilities.September 12, 2024 17:17 The meeting shall not be live telecast, can be recorded to maintain transparency: Chief Secretary Manoj Pant While doctors wanted their meeting to happen within media presence and a live telecast of the meeting, the Chief Secretary stated in his letter, “The meeting shall not be live telecast. However, the same can be recorded to maintain transparency. This will serve the purpose intended from your end, while also maintaining the sanctity of the proceedings, ensuring that all discussions are accurately documented.”- PTISeptember 12, 2024 17:08 Junior doctors are going to meet CM after Bengal chief secretary sends fresh letter to agitating doctorsIn a fresh invitation to the agitating junior doctors, the West Bengal government on Thursday (September 12, 2024) gave a 5 pm slot for a meeting to end the impasse over the RG Kar hospital incident, but rejected the protesters’ demand for live telecast of the talks.This is the third offer from the state government for talks in the last two days, with the agitators rejecting the previous two proposals and setting concrete conditions for the meet.- PTISeptember 12, 2024 16:59 Not possible to have a delegation of less than 30 people: Protesting junior doctors“There are doctors from 26 medical colleges in the state who are participating in this protest movement. Even if we choose one member from each college, it is not possible to have a delegation of less than 30 people,” the medic said and confirmed that they have already arranged a bus for transporting the delegation to the secretariat. The doctors insisted on having a live stream of the proceedings of the proposed meeting on grounds that they “have nothing to hide”.- PTISeptember 12, 2024 16:58 Doctors stick to their five demands, want live stream of meetingThe protesters also stated they would not settle for anything less than a live stream of the talks, which had earlier been rejected by the state chief secretary in its latest invitation for the meeting. “We welcome the chief secretary’s invitation and confirmation that the CM would be present at the meeting. We will attend the meeting with an open mind, but it has to be centred around the issue of providing justice to our colleague and ensuring security for doctors across the state,” a protesting doctor said.- PTISeptember 12, 2024 16:54 About 30 doctors leave for Swastha Bhawan After an impasse of over two days, on Thursday (September 12, 2024) about 30 doctors leave the protest site at Swastha Bhawan and head towards West Bengal State Secretariat for holding talks with the State government. Published – September 12, 2024 04:50 pm IST