The West Bengal government on Monday extended an invitation to the agitating junior doctors to meet with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence in Kolkata. The meeting is scheduled for 5 pm today, aiming to address the demands and grievances raised by the medical community, which has been in a deadlock with the state government for over a week.
Live Streaming Debate Stalls Progress
A major point of contention between the doctors and the government revolves around the transparency of the meeting. The junior doctors have been pushing for the meeting to be live-streamed, ensuring public visibility of the discussions. However, the Bengal government has rejected the proposal for live streaming. In a statement, the government assured that while live streaming would not be permitted, video recordings of the deliberations would be made.
Despite this assurance, the doctors expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that officials were unwilling to provide them with the footage from the meeting. This has led to further distrust between the two parties, prolonging the standoff.
Government’s Invitation and Doctors’ Continued Protest
On Monday, Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant officially invited representatives of the junior doctors to participate in the meeting with the chief minister. In a formal email, the invitation was extended to the medical representatives in an effort to bridge the gap and seek a resolution.
Despite the government’s outreach, the junior doctors continued their protest, marking the eighth consecutive day of their sit-in demonstration outside Swasthya Bhawan, the health department’s headquarters. Their demands for transparency and fair negotiations remain central to the ongoing agitation.
The situation remains tense as both sides prepare for the scheduled meeting, with the outcome likely to impact healthcare services across the state.
