After the scheduled discussion with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee collapsed on Thursday and the state administration was unwilling to allow live telecast of the meeting, one of the preconditions imposed by the protesting doctors for the talks, the delegation 30 members of the WBJDF returned to the sit-in in Salt Lake, blaming the state government's "stubborn attitude" for the failure of the talks.
Countering comments made by Banerjee at a press conference where she claimed that the doctors' protest had political colors sparked by greed for the CM's post, the protesting doctors said they went to the Secretariat gates to hold talks on the "chairman" of the Chief Minister.
“We don't want any chairs. We want justice for the victim. We have been on the streets for the last 33 days and, if necessary, we will remain on the streets for another 33 days. But we will fight for justice until the end,” said one of the protesting doctors.
They also refuted the Chief Minister's allegation that patients were suffering due to the call by junior doctors to stop work.
"Senior doctors are working overtime to treat patients because they are in solidarity with our protest," said an agitated junior doctor.
The WBJDF had earlier statistically refuted the state government's allegations that the healthcare system in Bengal was suffering due to its call to cease work.
Claiming that they were only doctors in training, the protesters said that if their absence from service can result in the collapse of the entire health system, it shows how pathetic the system is, with inadequately trained doctors and lack of allied medical staff.
According to them, of the 245 state hospitals in West Bengal, only 26 are medical colleges.
The total number of junior doctors in West Bengal is around 7,500, as against around 93,000 registered doctors, they claimed.
Countering comments made by Banerjee at a press conference where she claimed that the doctors' protest had political colors sparked by greed for the CM's post, the protesting doctors said they went to the Secretariat gates to hold talks on the "chairman" of the Chief Minister.
“We don't want any chairs. We want justice for the victim. We have been on the streets for the last 33 days and, if necessary, we will remain on the streets for another 33 days. But we will fight for justice until the end,” said one of the protesting doctors.
They also refuted the Chief Minister's allegation that patients were suffering due to the call by junior doctors to stop work.
"Senior doctors are working overtime to treat patients because they are in solidarity with our protest," said an agitated junior doctor.
The WBJDF had earlier statistically refuted the state government's allegations that the healthcare system in Bengal was suffering due to its call to cease work.
Claiming that they were only doctors in training, the protesters said that if their absence from service can result in the collapse of the entire health system, it shows how pathetic the system is, with inadequately trained doctors and lack of allied medical staff.
According to them, of the 245 state hospitals in West Bengal, only 26 are medical colleges.
The total number of junior doctors in West Bengal is around 7,500, as against around 93,000 registered doctors, they claimed.
