Protesting with junior doctor hits: 59 seniors from two medical colleges in north Bengal quit job following humiliation Despite hunger strikes demanding more security measures in state-run medical colleges.
In aordination, 40 senior doctors of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital including the acting principal and heads of departments sat for a mass resignation letter to the director of medical education (DME). Also, 19 senior doctors of Jalpaiguri Government Medical College & Hospital (JGMCH) also wrote a letter of resignation to the DME and the state’s director of health services (DHS).
They were propelled mainly by issues concerning safety and security in governmental health facilities. Dipanjan Bandyopadhyay, a professor at NBMCH reiterated that due to the government inaction to these complaints, they dumped their membership, and the government should do something.
Although resignations of senior doctors are a show of support to the junior doctors, they cannot be legally effective because no doctor has resigned individually. Still, if the government cannot satisfy the employees’ demands, more doctors might quit; it may destabilize health care in state facilities.
A senior doctor from JGMCH said more retaliatory actions could be taken if the demands of the junior doctors are not met affect the health system. Like many sectors in Pakistani health care, junior doctors have been on a hunger strike for four days now and the government still remains silent.
(Additional reporting by our Jalpaiguri correspondent)
