Kolkata, October 17 (IANS). The hunger strike of junior doctors continued for the 13th day over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s R.G.Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Eight doctors (seven in Kolkata and one in Siliguri in Darjeeling district) are adamant on continuing the fast and are posing a challenge to the state government. They allege that the government has not yet accepted their major demands.
Six junior doctors, who took part in the hunger strike that started on the evening of October 5, had to be admitted to the hospital after their health deteriorated.
These included Taniya Panja and Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, R.G. Aniket Mahta of Kar Medical College, N.R.S. Pulastya Acharya of Medical, Alok Verma of North Bengal Medical College and Souvik Banerjee of North Bengal Dental College and Hospital.
Three of the seven hunger strikers who continued the protest at the Esplanade, Arnab Mukhopadhyay, Snigdha Hazra and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra, were among the first six who began their hunger strike on the evening of October 5.
They have maintained complete transparency in their protests throughout the entire duration of this hunger strike. CCTV cameras have been installed here. Along with this, updates are being given every hour about the medical condition of the protesters sitting on strike through a display chart on the stage.
According to the latest information available, of the seven junior doctors protesting at the Esplanade, except Rumelica Kumar and Spandan Chaudhary, five others have fallen ill.
The most serious cause for concern is that ketone bodies have been found in the urine of all five of them.
–IANS
MKS/KR
