Both the Federation of Medical Associations (FeMA) and the Indian Medical Association have asked Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take cognizance of the ongoing indefinite fast of the junior doctors and resolve the impasse by acceding to their 10-point demands that include justice for the lady doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital who was on August 9 raped and murdered while on duty inside her hospital.

In a strongly worded letter to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee the Federation of Medical Associations (FeMA) has written that if there was a casualty among the doctors who were fasting unto death then the consequence would be uncontrollable.

“We have realised that Mamata Banerjee is least interested in addressing the genuine demands” of the junior doctors who had been on a fast unto death. Threatening a complete cease work of doctors and also a bigger movement the FeMA has warned that “no amount of vote bank or police force will be able to stop the movement. We will make sure that this extreme step that you are forcing us to take will be supported by every common man and even your own vote bank. It will soon be followed by similar action Pan India. Even central forces will not be sufficient to douse the flames,” the FeMa wrote.  

The letter barely a few hours before Aniket Mahato a striking doctor was hospitalized in a “critical condition.” Nine doctors, seven in Kolkata and two in Siliguri were sitting in fast unto death in support of their demands post the brutal rape and murder of “Abhaya” the victim doctor  of RGKMCH.

In a ten-point demand the doctors have been asking for a central referral system with real time monitoring so that no patient has to run from hospital to hospital losing vital time of treatment, installation of CCTV cameras, foolproof security of medical staff, end of threat syndicate inside medical colleges and related “rule of and rule by corruption,” and conducting of college elections so as to end the “threat and extortion raj being perpetrated in the colleges,” the doctors said.

The Bengal chapter of IMA too wrote to the Chief Minister to end the imbroglio by providing the junior doctors with a written deadline by which their demands would be fulfilled.

“It (has) almost (been) a week since the young doctors of Bengal (started their) fast onto death.

 The Government is entirely capable of meeting all the demands. Peaceful ambience and security are not a luxury. They are a prerequisite.

We appeal to your good self to settle the issues with the young generation doctors as an elder and the Head of the Government,” the letter said adding how “the entire medical fraternity of India is concerned and trust you would be able to save their lives.”

Meanwhile, Dr Aniket Mahato, one of the junior doctors participating in the strike, was hospitalized after his condition worsened. “He is presently stable and is responding to treatment but we are keeping watch on other doctors too as their parameters are going down too we hope the Government loves its doctors and it knows how to show that love,” Dr Subarna Goswami one of the senior doctors said.