Kolkata Doctor Rape and Murder Case Live: Protesting Kolkata junior docs to resume work Saturday; OPD & OT services to remain suspended

"We will keep a close watch on the administration after we resume our duties," say junior doctors

Kolkata, West Bengal | Dr Aqeeb says, "On the 41st day of the protest, West Bengal Junior Doctors Front wants to say that we achieved a lot during our agitation, but many things remain unachieved... We made the Kolkata Commissioner of Police resign and the DME, DHS resign. But this doesn't mean the agitation is over. We will take it forward in a new way. We have received a directive from Nabanna after our meeting with the Chief Secretary yesterday. In the directive, we have been assured that safety and security implementations will be made, but it has not been specified when... Threat culture has claimed the life of 'Abhaya'... We still demand that the principal secretary be removed and action be taken on threat culture... Tomorrow we are organising a rally from Swasthya Bhawan to the CGO complex and end our protest. We will keep a close watch on the administration after we resume our duties... If we find anything out of place, we will come back stronger. We are returning to work on Saturday and resume essential services. OPD and OT services will remain suspended because we want to ensure that measures are taken to ensure the security of female colleagues. Our agitation will continue. Justice for Abhaya will always be our priority and our eyes are on the Supreme Court hearing and on the steps taken by the government..."

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: Doctors say, "Will rejoin emergency, essential services partially at state-run hospitals in Bengal from Saturday."

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: Junior doctors call off strike after 42 days

After 42 days, junior doctors in Kolkata have finally called off their strike. This decision was made by the protesting doctors after a General Body meeting held on Thursday. The prolonged strike had significantly impacted the healthcare sector. With the strike being called off, normal services will now resume.

Bengal govt issues directives on security for healthcare professionals

The West Bengal government on Thursday issued a list of directives on the safety, security and efficient functioning of healthcare professionals, saying those orders need to be implemented immediately. The directives came a day after the government held a meeting with agitating junior doctors over the same issues.

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: 'Women were drinking during Reclaim the Night protest', Bengal minister's remark stirs row

West Bengal minister Swapan Debnath on Thursday sparked controversy with his remarks about the 'Reclaim the Night' movement, suggesting that women drink liquor during the demonstrations and parents should keep an eye on their daughters' activities during these late-night protests, news agency PTI reported.
Read full story

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: West Bengal govt issues directions to ensure safety, security and efficient functioning of all healthcare professionals

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: Facilities, arrangements withdrawn at junior doctors’ protest venue in Kolkata: Media reports

The agency that supplied various items to support the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF) during their sit-in protest outside the health department headquarters started reclaiming these items on Thursday.

When the protesting doctors asked the employees about the removal of items such as tarpaulins, cam-cots, and pedestal fans, the employees explained that they were following instructions from their superiors, as the equipment was needed for a different event.

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: ED appoints new eastern region head in Kolkata

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has appointed its western region special director to head its eastern region headquartered in Kolkata, which is undertaking some sensitive and high-profile investigations, including the R G Kar hospital money-laundering case and other matters related to alleged corruption involving politicians. Satyabrat Kumar, a 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Customs and Indirect taxes cadre, has been transferred to head the ED's eastern region office in Kolkata.
Read full story

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: 'We will keep protesting until...' : Doctors protest in Kolkata

"Our decision is that we will keep protesting until we get anything in written. We were asked to convey our demands in writing and we have done it," says one of the agitating doctors, protesting outside Swasthya Bhavan in Kolkata.

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live:Victim's father urges CBI to save call records of deceased daughter

The father of the doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered in the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month, informed the CBI that he had talked with his daughter over the phone a few hours before her death and urged the agency to "save" call records of her phone, a source said on Thursday. In a letter to the CBI, the father also requested the officers to secure the CCTV footage at the hospital, primarily those on the floor of the seminar hall, where the body of his daughter was found on August 9.

"The father of the deceased wrote a letter to us with a request that we save the call records," the CBI source said.
Read full story

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: TMC MLA Sudipto Roy arrives at ED office

TMC MLA Sudipto Roy arrived at the ED office in Kolkata on Thursday for questioning about a financial irregularities case involving the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital.

Roy is also the chairman of the patients' welfare committee at R.G. Kar, a member of the West Bengal Medical Recruitment Board, and the president of the West Bengal Medical Council.

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: West Bengal Medical Council cancels registration of former RG Kar hospital principal Sandip Ghosh: Official

The West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) on Thursday cancelled the registration of former principal of RG Kar Sandip Ghosh, an official said. Ghosh, who is in CBI custody in connection with the rape-murder case of a woman doctor at the hospital, has been removed from the list of Registered Medical Practitioners maintained by the WBMC on September 19. His license was cancelled under various provisions of the Bengal Medical Act, 1914, he said.
Read full story

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: Newly appointed Kolkata Police Commissioner visits RG Kar hospital

Newly-appointed Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma on Thursday visited RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered on August 9, sparking nationwide protests and prompting junior doctors of West Bengal to launch 'cease work'. Accompanied by Dipak Sarkar, who has replaced Abhishek Gupta as Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Division), Verma stayed at the hospital premises for over 30 minutes where he visited the scene of crime on the second floor of the Emergency block and met hospital authorities at the administrative building of the state-run tertiary healthcare facility.
Read full story

Kolkata Junior Doctor Protest Live: Their main demand is justice, entire government with them, says Kunal Ghosh

On visiting CBI office, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh says, "I had some personal work for which I came, there is no need to comment on it."

On protest by junior doctors, he says, "The Chief Minister held a meeting, the government accepted many of their demands. Their main demand is justice and with this, the CM, Abhishek Banerjee and our entire party, the entire government are with them. ...They should resume their work..."

Kolkata Doctor Murder Live: Newly appointed Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma visits Tala police station

Kolkata Junior Doctor Protest Live: Sandip Ghosh willfully absent from crime scene

The CBI informed the court on Wednesday that former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh was willfully absent from the crime scene, failing to monitor the situation closely. Investigators believe Ghosh arrived at the hospital only after police and the homicide OC were present, having made multiple calls to Tala OC Abhijit Mondal and other hospital officials. Analyzing his call details, the CBI suspects he was taking orders from someone else. The agency has already alleged that the crime scene was tampered with. During questioning, Ghosh stated he spoke to various officials and formed a three-member board of doctors, whose findings were sent to the health department for a meeting convened at 5 PM.

Kolkata Junior Doctor Protest Live: CBI takes suspended police in-charge Abhijit Mondal and ex-principal Sandip Ghosh for medical examinations

Kolkata Junior Doctor Protest Live: CPI(M) youth leader Minakshi Mukherjee appears before CBI

Minakshi Mukherjee, the state secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), arrived at the CBI's Salt Lake office on Thursday to assist in the investigation of the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case. The DYFI is the youth wing of the CPI(M). "I will cooperate with the CBI officers in every way," Mukherjee stated as she entered the agency's office after returning from Raiganj in north Bengal earlier that morning.

Kolkata Junior Doctor Protest Live: Officials refused to agree to our demands, says Junior doctors

The junior doctors of the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front stated on Thursday that officials have rejected all their demands following a meeting with Chief Secretary Manoj Pant at Nabanna on Wednesday evening. "During the meeting, the Chief Secretary seemed willing to accept our demands, but afterwards, they were dismissed as the officials did not prioritize our concerns. There were topics that went unaddressed, and they asked us to follow up by email. What’s the point of writing an email after a meeting? Our requests were not fulfilled, and they even refused to provide any commitments in writing. We have submitted our demands, and our protest will continue because we are dissatisfied with the outcome of the meeting.", a junior doctor said after the meeting

Kolkata Doctor Murder Live: 'If we prolong the cease-work, public support could fade'

“To make the movement more sustainable, we should be going back to work.” “If we prolong the cease-work, public support could fade”, said a junior doctor.

Kolkata Junior Doctor Protest Live: Junior doctors demand security and infrastructure improvements

On Wednesday, junior doctors held their second meeting with state officials regarding their demands for improved infrastructure and security in hospitals, as well as an end to the "threat culture." The doctors reiterated that they cannot resume duty without a formal commitment addressing their concerns, which include enhanced security and better amenities for resident doctors.

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: We should relieve some pressure off our seniors

“Seniors have been taking up that pressure unconditionally for over 40 days. By resuming work in emergency at least, we should be releasing some pressure off them,” said a junior doctor.

Kolkata Doctor Murder Live: Junior doctors' additional demands for healthcare improvements

In addition to security enhancements, junior doctors are calling for a range of improvements, including a robust patient referral system, real-time bed vacancy monitoring, permanent healthcare worker appointments, removal of non-medical personnel from assistant superintendent roles, hiring professional counselors for better doctor-patient interactions, conducting student union elections, establishing resident doctor associations in all colleges, forming an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in each hospital, and eliminating the prevailing threat culture.

Kolkata Doctor Rape Case Live: Medical council to cancel Sandip Ghosh’s registration

“A decision has been made to cancel Sandip Ghosh’s registration, which will be finalized by Thursday,” announced WBMC registrar Manas Chakraborti. Previously, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) West Bengal urged the WBMC to revoke Ghosh’s medical registration immediately. “The entire medical community is questioning why his registration number hasn’t been canceled despite such non-compliance,” stated a letter to WBMC president Sudipta Roy, signed by IMA Bengal president Dilip Pal and honorary secretary Santanu Sen.

Kolkata Junior Doctor Protest Live: West Bengal sanctions 1.5k more guards for 29 medical colleges

The government has approved the hiring of 1,514 additional security personnel, comprising 910 men and 604 women, for 29 hospitals and medical colleges. This initiative aims to strengthen security across all medical colleges in response to the tragic rape and murder of R G Kar.