'Will not take any action against you, this is not UP': Mamata urges doctors to return to work

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the site of a junior doctors' protest at Swasthya Bhawan on Saturday. Banerjee urged the protesting doctors to return to work and assured them that she would engage senior officials for further process.

She said, “If you wish to return to work, I promise you to consider your demands sympathetically. I do not run the government alone. I will discuss your demands with the chief secretary, home secretary, and the DGP.”

She also urged the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expedite their investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College, insisting that “Let the guilty be punished.”

Reflecting on the government's approach to similar protests, Banerjee compared the situation in West Bengal to that in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. “I will not take any action against you. This is not UP... I am against taking any action against doctors. I know that you do noble work,” she stated, adding that she, too, was a product of democratic movements.

While addressing the agitating medics, Banerjee pledged to investigate their demands, committing to action if any wrongdoing was identified.

As chants of "we want justice" filled the air, Banerjee told the doctors, “I came to meet you as your ‘didi’ (elder sister) not as the chief minister.” She described her visit as the "last attempt" to resolve the crisis, acknowledging the distress of the doctors agitating in the rain. “I assure you that I will study your demands and take action if someone is found guilty,” she added.

THE SURPRISE VISIT

Accompanied by DGP Rajiv Kumar, the Chief Minister surprised those gathered at the protest site, arriving around 1 PM. She reflected on her sleepless nights saying, “It rained all night on Friday. The way you are sitting here, I am suffering. I have also not slept night after night for the last 34 days. Because if you are on the road, I also have to stay awake as a guard.”

Moreover, Banerjee announced the immediate dissolution of patient welfare committees in state-run hospitals, with plans to form new ones led by hospital principals and involving medical professionals. “The new committees will be headed by the principals. There will be representatives of junior doctors, senior doctors, nurses, and police. I have made this decision,” she explained.

(With PTI inputs)