Junior doctors continue sit-in outside health department office amid rain

Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal on Sunday said they remain steadfast in their resolve to pursue justice for the medic raped and murdered at the RG Kar hospital a day after another attempt to resolve the impasse with the state government fell throughAmid persistent rain the protesting doctors continued their sitin outside Swasthya Bhavan the state health department headquarters in Salt Lake for the sixth consecutive dayWe are steadfast in our resolve to seek justice for our sister no matter the adversity We have spent nights on the streets in harsh conditions and inclement weather despite some of us not feeling well an agitating junior medic said on the RG Kar hospital issue reported PTIWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Saturday made a surprise visit to the site where the doctors were protesting and assured them that their demands would be addressed but the proposed meeting fell through with the protesters claiming that they were asked to leave unceremoniously after waiting for three hours at the gates of the CMs residenceAnother protesting doctor claimed they had agreed to attend the meeting without livestreaming or video recording as Banerjee requested but after notifying Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya of this decision they were told to leave because it was too late reported PTIWe must stay strong This fight isnt just ours it is for the 10 crore people of Bengal The arrests of Sandip Ghosh and the OfficerinCharge of Tala Police Station validate our view that attempts were made to cover up this heinous crime he said reported PTIThe CBI which is probing the rapemurder case on Saturday evening added charges of tampering with evidence against former RG Kar hospital principal Sandip Ghosh who is currently in judicial custody and arrested Abhijit Mondal the officerincharge of Tala police station on charges of misleading the investigation and altering the crime sceneThe junior doctors who have been on cease work since August 9 are also demanding the suspension of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal Health Secretary N S Nigam Director of Health Services and Director of Medical Education for failing in their duties in the context of the RG Kar incidentBesides they have sought adequate safety and security measures for all women health professionals in the stateA few previous attempts at talks between the junior doctors and Banerjee had also failed due to disagreements over live streaming of the meetings and the number of attending representativesThe agitating medics said they have also been operating temporary clinics at the demonstration site where nearly 400500 patients come on a daily basisThe body of the postgraduate woman doctor was recovered in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 The Central Bureau of Investigation CBI has been conducting the probe into the rape and murder of the woman medic following a Calcutta High Court orderWith inputs from PTI