Kolkata, Oct 7 (PTI) Expressing hope that 90 per cent of the ongoing projects taken at all the Medical Colleges and Hospitals across West Bengal would be completed by next month, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on Monday urged the agitating doctors to “return to normal duties”.
The bureaucrat claimed that over 45 per cent of the work for installation of CCTVs was complete, and 62 per cent of the renovation and construction jobs were done.
“I am requesting everyone to come back to work and give services to the people. Some of them already have. We are all working towards improving the environment. They (junior medics) will appreciate that very good progress has been made on the promises made by the government,” Pant said at the state secretariat.
Seven junior doctors have been on indefinite hunger strike since Saturday demanding the government fulfil its promises on the security in state-run hospitals.
Other medics have joined normal duties after nearly 45 days of ‘cease work’ in two phases since August 9 when a doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in state-run RG Kar hospital here.
“I will request them all to join duties. What they want is a safer environment and we are working towards that. There is a positive intent from everybody’s side. There is no difference of opinion so far as over larger objective is concerned,” Pant added.
The chief secretary said that the state government has allocated Rs 113 crore for providing stronger security measures in hospitals.
On Monday, a meeting was held between Pant, Health Secretary NS Nigam, and representatives of the city-based Medical College and Hospital.
Pant said out of the total 7,051 CCTVs, 3,181 have already been installed.
“Going by the pace of work, we can say that more than 90 per cent of the work will be done by October 10. From October 15, we will start a pilot project,” he said The CS said that the panic button alarm system would begin functioning in November.
On October 4, the junior doctors had called off their ‘total cease work’, which had crippled healthcare services at state-run medical colleges and hospitals.
The protesting doctors emphasised that securing justice for the deceased woman medic remains their foremost priority.
They also called for the immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam as well as accountability for the alleged administrative incompetence and action against corruption in the department.
Other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
They are also demanding increased police protection in hospitals, recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. PTI SCH NN
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