AA Edit | WB docs must return to work

The refusal of the junior doctors and interns across all government hospitals in West Bengal who are protesting the rape and brutal murder of a resident doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9 to return to duty despite an appeal and assurance from none other than the Supreme Court of India, and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s desperate exhortation to people to get back to a “festive mood” ahead of Durga Puja portrays a disturbing trend. It is that this nation can be insensitive to human tragedies of the worst kind.

The Supreme Court was more than sympathetic to the demands of the agitating doctors when it directed them on Monday to resume work on Tuesday and assured them that they will face no adverse action. The court had, in a rare intervention, taken suo motu cognisance of the horrendous incident and ordered several proactive measures to ensure that its perpetrators are brought to book and that the government machinery is made to move in such a way that the chances of the recurrence of such an incident is minimised. The apex court has been monitoring the investigation which should primarily satisfy the doctors who are on the protest path seeking justice for the unfortunate victim. In the meantime, the Union government has also issued a series of directions to the states and Union territories so that the gaps in the security mechanism of hospitals are plugged.

The onus is now on the state government to create a sense of security and confidence amongst the doctors so that they can return to work but it refuses to take steps towards this goal. Instead, to add insult to injury, the chief minister has made this insensitive reference to the festival when the government invited the striking doctors to talks over email.

The West Bengal government told the Supreme Court on Monday that 23 people have died in the state as a result of the doctors’ strike. This, too, is unacceptable. Now that the Supreme Court is seized of the matter, the state government must make the next move while the doctors, too, must return to work. Human lives are precious, and doctors know it well. The government should, too.