On Monday evening, the meeting between doctors and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee concluded with a mutual agreement to record the minutes rather than live-streaming the discussion. The minutes reveal several key decisions:
1. Funding Allocation: An allocation of ₹100 crore was sanctioned for the enhancement of hospital infrastructure and the rebuilding of patient welfare committees.
2. Safety and Security: A special task force will be established to address hospital safety and security. This task force, led by the chief secretary, will include the home secretary, the Director General of Police (DGP), the Commissioner of Police (CP) Kolkata, and representatives from the junior doctors.
RG Kar Medical College Rape-Murder case | West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, ” We tried listening to junior doctors…we have decided to change the DC (Kolkata Police Commissioner)…he agreed to resign himself…in health department, they demanded the removal of 3 persons and… pic.twitter.com/f7xkS4lNYM
— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2024
3. Grievance Redressal: The meeting minutes also outlined the creation of a robust grievance redressal mechanism aimed at improving medical infrastructure across hospitals and colleges in the state.
What’s Considered?
– 2 Health Department officers removed.
– Kolkata Commissioner removed.
– Dy Police Commissioner (N) removed
Statements Post-Meeting
Following the meeting, Mamata Banerjee announced that the name of the new police commissioner would be revealed after 4 pm on Tuesday. She expressed that the government had largely accommodated the doctors’ demands, emphasizing the effort to balance the needs of the public with the doctors’ concerns. Banerjee urged doctors to resume their duties and assured that no disciplinary actions would be taken against them.
Doctors’ Responses
Dr. Debasish Halder, a leader of the protesting doctors, mentioned that the next steps would be determined based on the Supreme Court’s hearing later that day. Dr. Aniket Mahato, another leader, noted that the Chief Minister had not agreed to the removal of the principal secretary of the health department, which was one of their demands.
