People take part in a protest rally against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Kolkata, Tuesday, Oct 1, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Tuesday evening constituted a state-level grievance redressal committee to address issues of healthcare professionals, an official statement said.
The announcement came hours after junior doctors restarted an indefinite 'cease work' at all state-run medical colleges and hospitals across West Bengal on Tuesday.
The seven-member committee of doctors has renowned surgeon Sourav Dutta as its chairperson, the statement said.
The agitating junior doctors have been demanding that the state constitute a grievance redressal system to address complaints of all stakeholders, including patients and their families.
All secretarial assistance to the committee will be provided by the state health department, it said.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government, which had earlier disbanded all 'Rogi Kalyan Samities' (patient welfare committees), reconstituted those with principals of medical colleges and hospitals as chairpersons, another official said.
Junior doctors restarted the ‘cease work' earlier in the day, escalating protests over the state government's "failure" to address key demands, including enhanced hospital security, a day after the Supreme Court emphasised the need for medics to perform essential duties.
The medics had partially resumed duties on September 21 after a 42-day protest over the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.