The protesting junior doctors in Kolkata are scheduled to meet with the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee on Monday at 3pm.
One of the key demand to meet with Mamata Banerjee laid down by the doctors for the talks was that media persons should be apart of the meet. However, this is unlikely to happen. The state health department who sent out invites to all the agitating doctors said a recorded version of the discussions and resolutions taken at the meeting will later be provided to them.
The doctor protests soon spread across the entire nation in solidarity with the Kolkata doctors, even the Indian Medical Association (IMA) will stage a dharna at its headquarters in New Delhi.
The doctors protest started on the 11th of June last week, when one of the junior doctors was assaulted by relatives of a patient that died at a Kolkata hospital. The doctors have list of demands that they would discuss with Mamata Banerjee at 3pm today.
- Hospital security system
- Patient identification with the help of Aadhar or any other biometric
- Patients have to sign a contract which will clearly say that if any property is destroyed by the patient’s kin, the patient will have to bear the compensation otherwise he/she will be barred from getting any treatment free of cost
- If a doctor is verbally abused or physically assaulted, video footage or CCTV footage will be given to the central organisation headed by ex-SC judge and lawyers. If the CCTV footage is destroyed, hospital super will be held liable
- Fast track court specially designed to hear assault cases should be made
- Helpline for doctors by the Central govt for registering complaints against political leaders. In cases where the ruling party is found to be misusing its powers, a CBI inquiry should be ordered.
- The arrest of those who circulate hate messages against doctors on social media.
- Violation against women doctors should be made grave offense
- Counselling of all patients should be done under audio-visual surveillance
Since most of the doctors across the nation are on a strike, only emergency and casualty services are operational. The doctors agitation has affected hundreds and thousands of patients. The patients mostly would be keenly waiting for outcome of the meeting between the doctors and the government.
Source : Various