Deadlock: Junior Doctors Reject Bengal Government's Mediation Proposal

Junior doctors in Bengal have refused to attend a meeting led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee aimed at resolving the RG Kar hospital impasse. The state government's rejection of the doctors' demand for live streaming the meeting led to the deadlock, with both sides remaining firm on their positions.

In a dramatic turn of events, junior doctors have refused to join the Bengal government's proposal for talks mediated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to resolve the impasse at RG Kar hospital. The deadlock emerged after the state rejected their demand for live streaming the meeting.

The protestors, who arrived at the secretariat 25 minutes past the scheduled start time, stayed at the venue threshold, engaged in internal discussions for over an hour. A high-stakes standoff ensued between the two sides, each firm on their respective positions.

Senior officials including DGP Rajeev Kumar, ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar, and state chief secretary Manoj Pant failed to persuade the unyielding doctors despite numerous discussions. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee waited at the venue to partake in the meeting.

Chief secretary Pant stated, 'We had assured documentation and recording of the session, but live streaming was not feasible. The chief minister has been waiting for over an hour and a half. We request the doctors to consider attending this meeting as the intention of fixing anomalies in the health sector is mutual.' Despite these assurances, the doctors remained steadfast in their demands.

(With inputs from agencies.)