Junior doctors in Bengal call off week-long strike
Junior doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata have called off the strike after meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The strike ended after seven days. In a statement, the junior doctors said, "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to CM Mamata Banerjee. After an enormous movement, the meeting and discussions with our chief minister met a logical end. Considering everything, we expect the government to solve the issues as discussed in due time." They also thanked the medical fraternity across the country for their support during the strike. "We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all seniors, juniors, patients, common people, intelligentsia and the medical fraternity of the country who spontaneously extended their support and made this movement possible. We hope to maintain this unity in future," the doctors said. Bengal Governor KN Tripathi welcomed the resolution of doctors' crisis and thanked Mamata Banerjee for taking the initiative to break the logjam. "The Governor is happy that amicable settlement has been arrived at the meeting held today between the Chief Minister and the doctors," an official statement from the Governor's office read. It also said, "He (Governor Tripathi) appreciates the initiative taken by the Chief Minister and also the junior doctors to resolve the impasse." "He hopes that the doctors will take up the work of care and treatment of patients as per the high ideals of their noble profession," the statement read. After the meeting between the chief minister and the junior doctors, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accepted the various demands made by the doctors including the proposal to set up a grievance redressal cell in government hospitals. After Mamata Banerjee announced steps to scale up security at hospitals, the representatives of the striking doctors at the state secretariat said that they were satisfied with the talks. Mamata Banerjee also declared that her hour-long meeting with protesting doctors was "successful". Coming out of the CMO at Kolkata's Nabanna, Mamata Banerjee said that the meeting with the doctors, who have been protesting for a week, was successful.
