The protesting doctors in West Bengal have declared that they will be extending their protest as they met the chief minister of their state, Mamata Banerjee who has agreed to many demands. The Mamata government changed the Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal with Manoj Kumar Verma and transferred two other senior health bureaucrats. However, the doctors described these steps as half way measures and insisted on the sacking of state health secretary NS Nigam which, according to the doctors, Banerjee agreed to effect.
The doctors have intended to write an email to the Chief Secretary Manoj Pant with a request of arranging another session with the CM to further elaborate regarding the measures to be taken for hospital security. They also want to know how the channelised Rs 100 crore would be expensed for the coverage of doctors’ security.
As expected on Monday the government acted and brought Verma as new city police commissioner and sacked Debashis Halder, Director of Health Services (DHS), Kaustav Nayak Director of Medical Education (DME) and Abhishek Gupta Deputy Commissioner. Interim DHS has been named in the form of Swapan Soren but till date there is no substitution regarding the post of the DME.
The removal of Goyal was welcomed after controversies arose over his respond over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital which has led to the ongoing protests.
