Another junior doctor joins hunger strike at NBMCH

Siliguri: The indefinite hunger strike by junior doctors at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) entered its ninth day on Monday with growing concerns over the deteriorating health condition of the doctors. The protest is part of a larger movement on the RG Kar incident with the doctors presenting a 10-point list of demands over safety and security measures.

The key issue is the demand for action against those responsible for the RG Kar Medical College incident. Sandeep Mandal, a second-year resident in the ENT department at NBMCH, joined the hunger strike on Monday, which was started by two other junior doctors — Aloke Kumar Verma and Souvik Banerjee — on October 6. Mandal expressed frustration at the lack of progress, stating: “The state government hasn’t even fulfilled our first demand for justice. We will continue the hunger strike until our demands are met.”

The health condition of Verma has worsened significantly. After both doctors tested ketone positive, indicating severe physical stress, Verma was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at NBMCH. Banerjee, though continuing the strike, is also showing signs of deteriorating health.

In a show of solidarity, senior doctors across the state, including those at NBMCH, have announced a 48-hour pen-down strike. This strike, organised by the Federation of Medical Association and the Indian Medical Association (IMA), is aimed at pressuring the state government to meet the junior doctors’ demands. The pen-down protest that started at 6 am on Monday will continue till 6 am on Wednesday though emergency services in both government and private hospitals will remain unaffected.

Shankha Sen, secretary of the IMA, said: “We want the juniors to withdraw their protest, but their demands are justified. These should be accepted.” While senior doctors continue their protest, junior doctors at NBMCH are maintaining outpatient services (OPD).