1. Docs Agree to Talk ‘Any Time, Any Place’
Agitating junior doctors, in the first climbdown since they began their stir six days ago, said they were ready to meet Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee any time and anywhere. This softening of stance had initially come with a rider: the meeting cannot be held behind closed doors, and the media should be allowed to telecast it live, though this demand is likely to be dropped.
The state government responded immediately, proposing a 3pm meeting at Nabanna on Monday, but cited legalities and constitutional propriety, which prevents such meetings from being held under full public glare.
This request is likely to be granted by the doctors, sources indicated on Sunday, paving the way for “across-the-table” discussions between the protesters and the chief minister.
(Source: The Times Of India)
The Trinamool Congress on Sunday expressed “surprise” and “shock” at the continuing agitation by junior doctors, although, according to the party, their demands had already been met.
In a Facebook post written in Bengali, Trinamool secretary-general and minister Partha Chatterjee attributed the agitators’ refusal to resume services to the “motive” of “some” to allegedly insult the post of chief minister.
He issued the statement after it became clearer during the day that the junior doctors had softened their stand and were willing to participate in the dialogue initiated by Mamata Banerjee.
(Source: The Telegraph)
Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday requested the agitating junior doctors at the state-run medical establishments to immediately resume normal services.
The BJP, which had so far been unconditional in its support to the agitators, on Sunday attributed the continuation of the impasse to the “personal ego” of the doctors and the state government. Ghosh said the doctors should not forget their own commitment to the society.
“I would request the agitating junior doctors to resume normal medical services immediately and not allow thousands of patients across the state to suffer any longer. Both the sides have to shun their personal ego, which is secondary, and the doctors must provide services,” said Ghosh, who is also the Midnapore MP.
(Source: The Telegraph)
A baby born at Midnapore Medical College Hospital (MMCH) on the night junior doctors were assaulted at NRS Hospital, which triggered the protest that has virtually halted medical services at government hospitals, has been named ‘Andolan’ (agitation).
“My sister and I thought of naming the baby, ‘Andolan, as he was born on the eve of the strike and spent the first days of his life in a hospital with junior doctors on strike,” said Asit Doloi, uncle of the child’s mother, Rupali Bhuniyan. The father, Raju, a garage mechanic, said he was happy with the name that his uncle-in-law and mother-in-law, Chhaya Santra, came up with.
Rupali from West Midnapore’s Kespur was admitted to MMCH’s gynaecological ward on the evening of 10 June. Within hours, she underwent a caesarian section and the boy was born.
(Source: The Times Of India)
Senior doctors of College of Medicine and JNM Hospital here have decided to set up a parallel outpatient department to examine patients from Monday, but will not issue official prescriptions.
Professor Kaustabh Chakraborty, the head of the psychiatry department at the Kalyani facility, said the senior doctors would treat patients in the parallel OPD from Monday. (But we will not issue official prescriptions. We will write names of medicines and advices on white sheets of paper,” said Chakraborty.
The decision was taken at a meeting on Sunday.
(Source: The Telegraph)
Stringent and fast action against repeat offenders, quicker probes, more closed circuit cameras and upgraded on-campus police outposts – these are just some of the measures that Kolkata Police is planning to stop assaults on and instil confidence in doctors, who are now into the sixth day of their stir, against a murderous assault last Monday.
These measures are part of several long- and short-term measures being worked on by the Lalbazar brass. The state’s repeated assurances to act tough against such offenders have, till now, failed to placate the protesters.
(Source: The Times Of India)
Police took three BJP supporters into custody on Sunday, a day after Trinamool member Monoranjan Patra’s murder at a TMC office in Hooghly’s Khanakul. The arrests came as TMC youth wing president Abhishek Banerjee arrived here, met Monoranjan’s family and said that CM Mamata Banerjee was monitoring the situation.
The BJP supporters — Bibhas Malik, Shyamal Bag and Bhupati Kotal — were among 16 named in the FIR lodged at Khanakul police station on a complaint by Monoranjan’s brother, Sandip. Hundreds of TMC workers and supporters gheraoed the police station on Sunday morning. They calmed down after the arrests.
(Source: The Times Of India)
