RG Kar: Mamata Banerjee, junior doctors hold 2-hour talks amid ongoing protests
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and agitating junior doctors on Monday lasted nearly two hours, discussing various demands of the medics, including the prevailing "threat culture" in the state's hospitals, to resolve the impasse stemming from the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital in August. During the talks, held on the 17th day of a fast-unto-death by some protesting doctors, which was streamed Live for the first time from the state secretariat-Nabanna, Banerjee urged the junior doctors to end their fast, stating that most of their demands had been addressed, while rejecting the one on removing the state health secretary.
Although both sides agreed on the prevailing threat culture, they differed on the underlying premises, forces, and situations that promote it.
«At RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, several junior doctors and medical students were suspended without following proper procedures and rules. How can these students or resident doctors be suspended just on the basis of complaints? Who gave the college authorities the right to take such a step without informing the state government? Isn't this a threat culture?» the chief minister said.
Following this, Aniket Mahato, an agitating doctor who had to be hospitalised after five days of fasting, countered Banerjee by saying those who were suspended «have been very much part of the threat culture and don't deserve to be doctors.»
«If needed, the state government can assess their performance and then decide. The atmosphere of the
