Protesting doctors call off strike after Mamata assures new security measures

Delhi:  The protesting doctors in West Bengal today called off their week-long strike after meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, where they were assured of scaled-up security measures, news agency PTI reported.

CM Banerjee today met with the striking doctors of the state and accepted their proposal to set up grievance redressal cell in all government hospitals, in a bid to stop the week-long impasse of the medicos, which garnered nationwide attention.
Banerjee also directed Kolkata Police commissioner Anuj Sharma to deploy a nodal police officer in every hospital, during the meeting with representatives of doctors.

In the meeting, which was held at the state secretariat, a doctors' delegation apprised Banerjee of the problems they have been facing at medical colleges and hospitals and said they fear for their safety.

The joint forum of the doctors told the CM that they were scared while working and wanted exemplary punishment for those who assaulted NRS doctors.

The CM told the striking doctors that no doctor has been booked by the state government. She also said that the government had taken adequate measures and arrested five people involved in NRS hospital incident.

Though Banerjee gave consent for live coverage of the proposed meeting with the agitating doctors, only two regional news channels were allowed to cover meeting at state secretariat.

The state government had earlier turned down the striking doctors' demand for live telecast of the meeting.

Junior doctors across the state were protesting against an assault on two of their colleagues, at the NRS Medical College and Hospital, allegedly by the family members of a patient who died last week. The protest grew into a nationwide movement with doctors in Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and other states boycotting work to support their striking colleagues in West Bengal.

West Bengal health secretary, MoS Chandrima Bhattacharya and other state officials were present in the meeting, besides 31 junior doctors.