Mamata Banerjee Photo Credit: ANI
The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (September 26, 2024), said that her government has removed the provisions in the country. ‘Ratri Sathi (Helpers of the Night)’ The move was challenged by the Supreme Court.
“We are working on the implementation of Ratri Sathi except for those that the Supreme Court has objected to,” said the Chief Minister. During a hearing in the Supreme Court on September 17, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud directed the state government to end the provisions of the scheme to prevent women doctors from working 12 hours and not working at night in hospitals. .
The Court also questioned the State government’s move to send contract workers Ratri Sathi stating that the accused in raping and killing the victim at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was working under contract. Kolkata police have arrested Sanjay Roy, a community police volunteer for raping and murdering a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Meanwhile, a new announcement made by the Chief Minister regarding the appointment of about 12,000 policemen sparked a new controversy. Mrs. Banerjee said that the newly recruited police officers will be trained and do work at the same time. “We don’t have enough workers. “Like junior doctors who treat patients and study at the same time, the police will be doing the same,” said the Chief Minister. This action has caused a stir as experts say that untrained police officers cannot provide security to doctors.
I Ratri Sathi The scheme, which was announced by the West Bengal government on August 19, was aimed at providing security to women, especially those working night shifts after the horrific crime at a government hospital.
In the afternoon Ms. Banerjee had a meeting with senior officials of the Government Health department including the principals of all medical colleges and hospitals. The Chief Minister said that he has instructed the principals of medical colleges and hospitals to use the money allocated for the development of the institutions and not to wait for the Social Welfare Department of the Government.
The State Government has earmarked Rs 100 crore for infrastructure development in government run hospitals and medical colleges in the State after the body of a woman doctor was found in the seminar room of RG Kar MCH. Ms. Banerjee said former Director General of State Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha was looking into the security audit of all medical colleges in the State.
Meanwhile, five days after returning to work the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) has written to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal Manoj Pant complaining that no action has been taken and no order has been issued regarding some of the important demands set and agreed upon.
“Now we find that although some of our discussions and demands have been fulfilled, many of our important demands have not been answered so far. We urge the State Government to act immediately on the above-mentioned demands and issue special instructions to the relevant authorities as those demands have also been verbally agreed,” said an email sent by WBJDF on Wednesday.
The doctors stated that their demands such as the committee investigating the case of disciplinary action against the suspects involved in the culture of intimidation in all health colleges and the committee investigating the colleges have not been considered.
In another incident, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered the West Bengal government to file an affidavit in court regarding the “threatening culture” in various medical colleges and hospitals in the state.
A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Bivas Pattanayak also observed that if the allegations of “harmful culture” going on in medical colleges, where junior doctors become victims, are true, then, the issue is very serious. . Junior doctors have been alleging a ‘culture of intimidation’ prevalent in several state-run health facilities.
EOM
Published – September 27, 2024 07:28 am IST