Bengal Doctors End Hunger Strike After Heated Meeting with Mamata Banerjee

Doctors at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal have called off their hunger strike, which began following the alleged rape and murder of a colleague in August. The strike, which lasted for weeks, concluded after a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday. However, doctors clarified that their decision to end the fast was in response to public appeals and the victim’s family rather than assurances from the government.

The junior doctors had been protesting against what they described as a toxic environment at the hospital, with several allegations of inappropriate behavior and a lack of accountability. Despite the Chief Minister’s acknowledgment of some issues, particularly the “threat culture” in medical institutions, there were sharp disagreements during the meeting. Banerjee criticized the suspension of students without due process but resisted demands to remove senior officials implicated in the crisis.

Although the hunger strike has been called off, the doctors plan to continue their protests. They will hold a mass convention in the coming days to address the systemic issues in the state’s healthcare sector. The government has promised to implement certain reforms, including the formation of task forces and timelines to address the doctors’ grievances.