In a significant development following a tense five-hour discussion with the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared sweeping changes in the Kolkata Police and health departments.
The announcement comes in the wake of a tragic incident involving the rape and murder of a junior doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Chief Minister Banerjee confirmed that after 4 PM on Tuesday, coinciding with the Supreme Court’s hearing on the case, she will replace Vineet Kumar Goyal, the Kolkata Police Commissioner.
Additionally, she will reassign Abhishek Gupta, the Deputy Commissioner (North Division) of Kolkata Police.
Further, the state director of health services and the director of medical education are likely to be replaced, according to the Chief Minister’s statement.
Despite these concessions, Banerjee did not address the junior doctors’ call for the removal of Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam.
Banerjee stated, “We have accepted most of the demands of the junior doctors and we expect the junior doctors to return to duty now considering the plight of the patients coming to the state-run medical colleges and hospitals.”
Junior Doctors Unhappy With Meeting Outcome; Plan Further Discussions At Protest Site
The junior doctors, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the meeting’s outcome.
They plan to deliberate further and decide on their next steps once they reconvene at their protest site in front of the state Health Department headquarters in Salt Lake, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata.
“There were certain positive discussions on several of our five-point agenda. But we are not happy with the progress of discussions on certain other points. We will announce our next course of action in the matter after we discuss with our fellow junior doctors,” a delegation member stated as they departed from the Chief Minister’s residence.
The Supreme Court’s hearing on the rape and murder case is likely to take place on Tuesday, adding urgency to the ongoing situation.
This follows the recent arrests of the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and the former SHO of Tala police station by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Both individuals face charges related to obstructing the investigation and tampering with evidence in the case.
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