West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front resume full 'cease work' throughout state

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF), the umbrella body of junior doctors, have announced resumption to ‘full ceasework’ from Tuesday throughout the state, demanding safety and security, justice for Abhaya and raising concern about "protracted judicial process" and slow progress of the CBI probe. The WBJDF has called a mass protest and will hold a march from College Square to Esplanade.

Meanwhile, a mega march has been called by various organization today. The march through Kolkata's Esplanade to Rabindra Sadan, called by several organizations, including the Joint Forum of doctors and several Left outfits on Tuesday afternoon got the Calcutta High Court’s green light on Monday.

The WBJDF, after a marathon meeting, announced the resumption of complete cease-work throughout the state from Tuesday. The meeting was convened after the Supreme Court hearing on Monday afternoon.

After the meeting, the doctor's forum charted out a ten-point demand and pointed out that "Abhaya’s question of justice should be answered immediately without any further delay in the form of protracted judicial process."

The doctors said they "realized just how slow the CBI's investigation is. We have seen many times before that the CBI has been unable to reach any conclusions, allowing the real culprits of such incidents to go free due to delays in filing charges."


WBJDF, in a press communique, made it clear that unless their 10-point demands are fulfilled and they receive clear action from the state government on safety, patient services, and the politics of fear, they will continue with their full strike.

"In this situation, we are compelled to return to a full cease work starting from today. Unless we receive clear action from the government on safety, patient services, and the politics of fear, we will have no choice but to continue our full strike," WBJDF said in a statement today morning.

The junior doctors had on September 21 rejoined their duties partially at government hospitals after a 42- day protest in RG Kar and in front of State Health Headquarters Swasthya Bhawan.


WBJDF said in their statement, " The Health Ministry must take responsibility for administrative incompetence, corruption & must immediately remove the Health Secretary from his position: a centralized referral system must be implemented immediately in all hospitals & medical colleges in the state," among others.

"To ensure that no further incidents like Abhaya’s occur, we must uproot this politics of fear and ensure democratic spaces everywhere. Yet, we see no goodwill from the state government on this front. No inquiry committees have been established against the heads of the current threat syndicate in healthcare, and no initiatives have been taken by the government to form elected student councils in colleges," WBJDF said in a statement.

The development of junior doctors returning to full cease-work comes just a day after a crucial hearing at the Supreme Court on the matter.

The junior doctors also pointed out that "rampant corruption & lawlessness inside WBMC & WBHRB must be brought under enquiry immediately."