West Bengal doctors’ strike: ‘Deeply ashamed at inaction and silence of our leader’ - Kolkata Mayor’s daughter
Junior doctors in West Bengal went on strike on Tuesday after two of their colleagues were attacked at the NRS Medical College and Hospital by the family members of a patient who had died on Monday night.
Kolkata: As the West Bengal government is pondering over taking strict action against the striking junior doctors in the state, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim's daughter, who is a doctor herself, has voiced criticism of the way Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is handling the ongoing doctors' strike.
Firhad Hakim is also the West Bengal Urban Development Minister.
Asserting that doctors have the right to "peaceful protest" and "safety at work”, Shabba Hakim urged people to ask why "goons were still surrounding hospitals and beating up doctors".
In a Facebook post written close to Wednesday-Thursday midnight, Hakim said: “As a TMC supporter, I am deeply ashamed at the inaction and the silence of our leader.” At the time of the writing of the post, Banerjee had not made any comment on the issue.
“For those who do not know Doctors in government and most private hospitals are boycotting OPD but are still working in the emergency (ward). Unlike other professions, we can’t just decide not to work because at the end of the day we have humanity.”
“If there was a bus or taxi strike, not one taxi driver or bus driver would provide you with any service no matter how dire the situation.”
“For those saying ‘Ono Rugider ki dosh?’ (What is the fault of the patients?) Please question the government as in why the police officers posted in government hospitals do too little or close to nothing to protect doctors? Please question them that when 2 truckloads of goon showed up, why wasn’t back-up (security) sent immediately?”
“Please question why goons are still surrounding hospitals and beating up doctors? We have a right to peaceful protest. We have a right to safety at work,” she added.
After Hakim’s post, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday set a deadline for the doctors to end their strike. However, the medicos refused to budge from their stand until they are provided adequate security in government hospitals.
Services across West Bengal have been affected over the last four days in outpatient facilities, emergency wards, and pathological units of many state-run medical colleges and hospitals because of the strike by the doctors.
Doctors went on strike on Tuesday after two of their colleagues were attacked and wounded at the NRS Medical College and Hospital by the family members of an 82-year-old patient who had died on Monday night.