Doctors call off strike after Mamata accepts better security demand

A spokesperson of the joint forum of doctors told reporters here that the doctors will return to work as they want to give the state government some time to implement the promises. “Our meeting and discussion with the CM met a logical end. We temporarily withdraw from our ceasework. Considering everything we expect the government to solve the issues as discussed in due time,” he said after a meeting of the governing body of the forum at the Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and hospital.

The breakthrough came after Banerjee held a meeting with representatives of the striking doctors at the state secretariat.

During the meeting, Banerjee announced a number of steps, including asking police to appoint nodal officers for security of doctors at all government hospital in the state, following which the doctors agreed to end the stir.

The junior doctors of Bengal had gone on strike on Tuesday protesting assault of their two colleagues by relatives and well-wishers of a patient who died in NRS hospital on Monday last.

Meanwhile, a junior resident doctor at the emergency ward of the AIIMS Trauma Centre in New Delhi was allegedly verbally abused and manhandled by the attendants of a patient late on Sunday night, following which his colleagues have gone on a strike withdrawing all non-essential services till Tuesday morning. The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear on Tuesday a plea seeking safety of doctors in government hospitals across the country.