The striking doctors of the RG Kar Medical College Hospital and other medical colleges remained nonchalant to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s veiled threat on Wednesday asking them to resume work “as I do not want to take stringent action against you that might spoil your career.”
Even as the doctors carried out long processions in various parts of Kolkata, Banerjee from a students’ rally in central Kolkata said, that she too was sympathetic towards their cause and that she had done all that she could do to get justice for their departed colleague — a postgraduate lady doctor whose semi nude corpse was recovered from inside the seminar of the RG Kar Medical College in the morning of August 9 — but appealed to them to resume work as many poor people were getting affected by doctors’ strike.
She said, “even the Supreme Court has given us the power to act … unlike some authorities elsewhere we did not file any FIR against the doctors in Kolkata because we had been very sympathetic towards their movement … but we will have to consider that the greater cause is suffering … the poor people are not getting their treatment ... already 16 days have passed since the incident took place … now I request you to come back to work …
“I do not want to register FIR and take action against the doctors who have long careers ahead of them … we want them to shine and prosper in life … we appreciate that … but they will also have to understand the Government’s compulsion … so I request them to join work.”
The doctors however remained adamant on their demand saying they would not join work till they get justice for their departed colleague.
“It is not only a heinous crime but an unprecedented crime that has taken place where a lady doctor has been raped and murdered inside her work place … which has hit everyone’s confidence … if justice is not delivered … if the culprits are not arrested then there is no point creating these hullabaloo for these many days … so we are not going to work … we want justice to be delivered first,” one of the agitating doctors said.
Meanwhile, in a parallel and related development the Indian Medical Association on Wednesday cancelled the membership of Dr Sandip Ghosh the ex-principal of RGKMCH. The IMA step comes a day after the Enforcement Directorate registered a case of economic offence on the RG Kar issue.
“It is going to be a tough situation for Sandip Ghosh as he may get arrested soon and all his corrupt works will soon come to the fore,” Akhtar Ali a former Assistant Superintendant of the medical college said.
His statement came almost in tandem with the Central Bureau of Investigation officials revisiting the RG Kar campus to inspect the accounts books, sources said.
