RG Kar impasse: Junior doctors to continue ceasework after govt officials refuse to sign minutes of second meeting

"While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee agreed to some of our demands and there were clear minutes of the meeting about the agreements and disagreements, today we were not given any written assurance. The chief secretary provided us with oral assurance about the directives they would take to provide security at hospitals and end the threat culture but he was not ready to sign the minutes of the meeting," said Debsish Halder, one of the protesting junior doctors.

"Following the last meeting and the outcomes of the Supreme Court hearing, we were eager to return to work but we are disappointed with today's meeting. We do understand changes are not possible overnight. We only asked them to sign the minutes of the meeting stating clearly what measures they would take to improve the infrastructure and provide our safety," he said.

"Therefore unless we are given written assurance from the government we will continue our protest. We are eager to return to work but would wait for the government's guidelines regarding the safety measures and will take our decision thereafter. We have been told to draft our demands and email it to the chief secretary," he said.

The meeting took place between a delegation of 30 medics and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant at Nabanna which started at 7:30 PM.

The West Bengal government earlier in the day invited the junior doctors agitating over the RG Kar rape-murder incident for a second round of meetings at the state secretariat at 6.30 pm, responding to their request for fresh talks.

Earlier, the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front said they wouldn't quit ceasework until their other demands including the removal of Principal Health Secretary, Narayan Nigam were met.

The formation of Resident Doctors' Associations and junior doctors' union in every college is also demanded by the protesters to dispel the atmosphere of fear amid 'threat culture' in the hospitals.

The last meeting between protesting junior doctors and Mamata Banerjee at the latter's Kalighat residence on Monday saw the removal of Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, DC North Abhishek Gupta and two other health officials.

Supreme Court slams Bengal govt over night duty diktat

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rapped the West Bengal government over its decision to not allot night shifts to women doctors for safety issues in the wake of the RG Kar incident where a trainee doctor was raped and murdered in the state-run hospital last month.

A top court bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said as quoted by Live Law, "How can you say women cannot work at night? Why limit the women doctors? They don't want a concession...women are ready to work at exactly the same time shift."

In a directive, the CJI told Sibal that it is the responsibility of the state government to provide security and not dictate women's working hours.

"Mr.Sibal, you have to look at it. The answer to it is that you must give security. West Bengal should correct the notification, your duty is to provide security, you cannot say that women (doctors) cannot work at night! pilots, the army etc all work at night," the CJI said.

Supreme Court on women's security at hospitals

The Supreme Court has questioned the West Bengal government's 'Rattirer Sathi' app, which is aimed at providing security to women at night hours, lashing out at the intent to hire contractual employees for the job.

"The culprit behind the RG Kar case is a civic volunteer," Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud reminded advocate Kapil Sibal, who was representing the State in the top court.

"The civic volunteer could roam around the hospital due to lack of security. Will you again hire contractual employees for security purposes?"

The top court made the remark during the hearing on the RG Kar case. The Kolkata Police had arrested civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy for allegedly raping and murdering a 31-year-old trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Though the state counsel assured the CJI of appropriate steps on behalf of the local government, the CJI again posed questions over the appointment of contractual employees for safety and security of women.

The top court has suggested the State to deploy police officials for security of women at hospitals highlighting the posting of contractual employees will raise questions over the security.