Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, 

October 7, 2024, Kolkata  :  In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing medical crisis in West Bengal, 50 senior doctors from several prominent hospitals, including RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, have submitted their resignations in a show of solidarity with the junior doctors’ movement. The resigning doctors include heads of various departments, signaling a significant challenge to the state’s healthcare system.

Reports indicate that doctors from other major medical institutions, such as NRS Medical College and Hospital and SSKM Hospital, have also joined the growing protest. This mass resignation is seen as an unprecedented move by senior medical professionals to increase pressure on the state government in support of the junior doctors’ 10-point demand, which includes better working conditions and systemic reforms in the healthcare sector.

Escalating Crisis

The movement began with junior doctors staging a hunger strike at Dharmatala, demanding immediate action on their grievances. As of Monday, the number of junior doctors participating in the hunger strike has continued to grow. In a new development, 3-4 specialist doctors—referred to as “player doctors” for their leadership and influence in the medical community—joined the hunger strike, signaling that the protest is gaining momentum beyond the junior ranks.

Many of the senior doctors who have aligned themselves with the movement are former students of RG Kar Medical College Hospital, creating a powerful bond of solidarity between the two generations of medical professionals. They see the junior doctors’ struggle as a legitimate fight for better working conditions, patient safety, and reforms that would benefit both healthcare providers and recipients.

Relay Hunger Strike and Mass Resignation

On Monday night, the Joint Platform of Doctors, an organization representing senior medical professionals, announced in a press release their decision to initiate a relay fasting program. According to the statement, senior doctors will participate in this fasting program from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, in a rotating manner, to show continuous support for the junior doctors without completely abandoning their duties. However, this symbolic act of protest took a serious turn when 50 senior doctors submitted their resignations during the ongoing relay fast.

The mass resignation followed a meeting of department heads earlier that day. The decision was made collectively by the doctors as a way to further intensify pressure on the state government. Despite the resignations, the senior doctors have clarified that they will not abandon their patients. In their statement, they reassured the public that they will continue to provide care and services at the hospitals, even as their formal roles as state employees come to an end.

“We are resigning in protest, but we will remain with our patients. This movement is not against the people, but for a better healthcare system,” one of the senior doctors stated, underlining their commitment to patient care despite the dire circumstances.

Implications for the State’s Healthcare System

The mass resignation of senior doctors has triggered alarm across the state’s healthcare institutions. With the growing number of junior doctors on hunger strike and the absence of key senior medical staff, there is rising concern about the potential collapse of the state’s healthcare system if the situation is not resolved soon.

Several senior officials in the health department have expressed fears that the mass resignation could cripple the functioning of key hospitals, especially if the protest continues for an extended period. Emergency services and critical care units are already feeling the strain, and any further disruption could lead to severe consequences for patient care.

The state government, thus far, has not provided any official response to the mass resignation, but insiders suggest that high-level discussions are underway to find a resolution. The demands of the junior doctors, which range from better working hours to addressing patient safety concerns, have received widespread support from medical professionals and civil society groups, but negotiations with the state have yet to yield concrete results.

A Call for Urgent Resolution

As the protest continues to gain momentum and the healthcare system teeters on the brink of collapse, there are growing calls for urgent intervention from the state government. Many within the medical community are warning that if the government does not engage in meaningful dialogue with the protesting doctors, the situation could spiral into a full-blown healthcare crisis.

Meanwhile, the public remains on edge, as many patients and their families express concern about the availability of medical care in the days ahead. The doctors, both junior and senior, remain committed to their cause but have also reassured the public that their protest is aimed at improving the very system that serves the people.

With the situation hanging in the balance, the state now faces the dual challenge of addressing the doctors’ demands while maintaining the functionality of its healthcare infrastructure.