Guv Keshari Nath Tripathi welcomes end of medical stalemate in Bengal

In a statement, the Governor said he is "happy that amicable settlement has arrived at the meeting held today between the Chief Minister and doctors."

He appreciated the initiative taken by CM Mamata Banerjee and the junior doctors to resolve the impasse.

"He hopes that the doctors will take up the work of care and treatment of patients as per the high ideals of their noble profession and also the state government will take all steps committed in the meeting expeditiously," the statement said.

Hours after their delegation held a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat Nabanna in Kolkata on Monday, protesting junior doctors of Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital (NRSMCH) have called off their indefinite strike.

"After having talks with CM Mamata Banerjee, we have decided to call off the strike. We have decided to give the government some time to work on our demands. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the CM and all who have extended their spontaneous support to us, making our movement a success," the protesting junior doctors said in a statement.

"We are humans and we might commit some mistake, in that case, lodge your complaints at grievance cell. I want to reach out to all across the nation that even our CM has clearly stated that there will be zero tolerance towards any assault on doctors be it junior or senior," a junior doctor representative said.

He said: "We withdraw our strike for now and the CM has assured action as early as possible."

The decision was taken at the general body (GB) meeting of the junior doctors following the talks with the CM.

After the meeting, one of the representatives of the protesting junior doctors told media that they feel positive after the meeting.

They also said that while some measure can be time-consuming they are hopeful that at least some initiatives would be taken immediately.

"The CM made it clear that nobody has the right to harass the doctors," said a junior doctor.

Banerjee also called the meeting hopeful and left to visit the injured junior doctor Paribaha Mukhopadhyay at the hospital.

"We had a fruitful meeting today," the Chief Minister said after the 90-minute long meeting which was aired live on TV.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister even suggested 10-point security measures for the safety of doctors in hospitals that would prevent a recurrence of attacks by relatives of patients which had triggered a strike by the medical practitioners in West Bengal since last Tuesday.

The delegation team said they will make an announcement on the strike after returning to the NRS Medical College and Hospital where the attack on doctors by patients relatives took place last week.

Banerjee met 24 representatives of junior doctors here.

In the meeting, Banerjee even accepted the proposal of the doctors to set up Grievance Redressal Cell in Government Hospitals.

Earlier on Sunday, after a long stand-off, the striking junior doctors put the ball in the Chief Minister's court, expressing their readiness to meet Banerjee at any venue she decides.

After the five-hour-long general body meeting this morning, the junior doctors said they want to meet the Chief Minister under camera supervision, thereby ruling out any closed-door meeting.