Mamata Banerjee meets striking doctors, directs appointment of nodal officers for security at govt hospitals

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked the police to appoint nodal officers for the security of doctors at all government hospitals in the state as she met the striking medicos on Monday in a bid to end the week-long impasse. In the meeting, which was held at the state secretariat, a doctors’ delegation apprised Banerjee of the problems they have been facing at medical colleges and hospitals and said they fear for their safety. [caption id=“attachment_6604641” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. PTI[/caption] Banerjee asked the police officers present in meeting to appoint nodal officers for hospitals in the state for security of doctors. West Bengal health secretary, MoS Chandrima Bhattacharya and other state officials were present in the meeting, besides 31 junior doctors. The state government which had consented to the protesters’ demand that the meeting should be held in the presence of media, allowed only two regional news channels to cover the meeting. The chief minister told the striking doctors that no doctor has been booked by the state government. The representatives of the joint forum of junior doctors also sought exemplary punishment for those involved in the assault on doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital on 11 June. Banerjee also directed the formation of grievance redressal units in all state-run hospitals as proposed by the junior doctors. She said the state government has taken adequate measures and arrested five people involved in the NRS incident.