Kolkata, June 12 (IBNS): People for Better Treatment (PBT) filed an urgent PIL in the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday against the state health department, West Bengal Medical Council and the NRS hospital concerning the ongoing strike by doctors.
The PIL seeks strict disciplinary action against the striking doctors and adequate compensation for all victims.
The PIL will come up before the Chief Justice on Friday.
A 12-hour shut down in hospitals across West Bengal began on Wednesday in protest against the attack on a junior doctor at Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata by relatives of a patient who died.
The junior doctor Paribaha Mukhopadhayay is in critical condition.
The trouble ensued after a 75-year old man - Kolkata's Tangra resident Md. Sayeed - died on Monday evening. But the victim's family alleged that the negligence of the hospital and medics led to the death. Trouble started after heated words were exchanged things got out of hand. The doctors were brutally attacked by the patient's family and supporters turning the hospital premises into a battleground.
A strike was called by the junior doctors in all government hospitals across the state on Tuesday with the doctors continuing their stir though reportedly five people were arrested for the attack. The outdoor facilities were also hit. The OPD at the government hospitals are scheduled to remain shut till 9pm as part of the strike.
The agitating doctors have demanded a statement from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on preventing such incidents though the state's health minister Chandrima Bhattacharya met the doctors and assured of strong action.
The medics put up posters and placards on the front gate and wall of the hospital saying they were not against the services but needed security from being attacked. The medics and patient party dispute after death is not new in the city.
Senior BJP leaders Mukul Roy and Locket Chatterjee visited NRS and later blamed that a section of Trinamool people from a particular community were behind the attack.
Dr Indranil Khan, ABVP vice-president, West Bengal, said, "The ABVP demands immediate arrest of the assailants by identifying the attackers from CCTV and social media videos and be booked under IPC Section 320 (Grievous Injury) among other sections."
"We pray for the recovery of the injured junior doctors of NRS Medical College and at the same time express our concern on the deteriorating law and order situation in the heart of Kolkata along with other parts of the state," Dr Khan said and urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to look into such attacks on government officers on duty and punish the attackers irrespective of their political or any other identity.
"Doctors don’t see colour during discharge of their duties nor should colour be a criteria for not arresting the attacker of a government officer on duty," he said. "Mobocracy cannot be the order of the day and can never be tolerated. Any allegation of medical negligence can be addressed through appropriate forums and doesn’t require mob terror."
"We will be submitting a detailed report on this violence to the Governor and Union health minister," said Dr Khan.
West Bengal junior health minister Chandrima Bhattacharya went to the spot to convince the agitating doctors to withdraw their protest. However, the protesters refused to budge.
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