Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee meets protesting doctors, assures new security measures

Highlights

• The doctors apprised Banerjee of the problems they have been facing and said they fear for their safety
• Banerjee has asked the cops to appoint nodal officers for hospitals in the state to provide security to the doctors
• The junior doctors also sought exemplary punishment for those involved in the Kolkata hospital assault

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee asked police to appoint nodal officers for 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.

Banerjee asked the police officers present in the meeting to appoint nodal officers for hospitals in the state to provide security to the 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 protesters' demand that talks 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 assault on doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital on June 11.

Banerjee also directed 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 NRS incident.