The ongoing protest by junior doctors in West Bengal has escalated as they refuse to comply with the Supreme Court’s 5 PM “back to work” deadline. In defiance, the protesting doctors have set their own deadline for the state government, demanding their grievances be addressed by 5 PM today. Should the government fail to meet their demands, the doctors have vowed to stage a sit-in protest outside the health secretariat.
Despite the clear directive for doctors by Supreme Court to resume duties by 5 PM, the protesting junior doctors have refused to return to work. Instead, they have hardened their stance and presented a five-point list of demands, the centerpiece of which calls for the resignation of several key officials.
In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, the doctors have issued a counter-deadline, pressing the state government to meet their demands by 5 PM. The protestors have made it clear that failure to do so will result in a sit-down protest at Swastha Bhavan, the state’s health secretariat located in Salt Lake, on the outskirts of Kolkata.
The five-point list of demands begins with the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal. Additionally, the doctors have called for the removal of several senior officials from the health ministry, expressing dissatisfaction with the administration’s handling of their concerns.
Hundreds of junior doctors have now gathered and are marching toward Swastha Bhavan to pressurize the government to take immediate action. The protest, which started with a few, has now swelled, as more doctors join in solidarity with their colleagues.
The standoff between the government and the protesting doctors shows no signs of easing, and the coming hours are likely to be critical in determining the course of the movement.
