Lakkhi chhele, ebar tomra strike tule nao

KOLKATA: Junior doctors in Bengal finally called off their week-long strike and promised to resume duty on Tuesday morning, ending a stir that crippled out patient departments (OPDs) and severely hit emergency services at hospitals across the state.At a meeting held at state secretariat Nabanna on Monday evening, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee told a team of 31 junior doctors, "(Please withdraw your strike like good boys)", which they agreed to. The "cordial" negotiations between the CM and doctors were broadcast live for about 100 minutes by two regional channels.The doctors, who had adopted a strident posture against the administration for the initial police inaction against the kin of a bereaved patient at NRS Hospital last Monday (incident that triggered the stir) relented in the face of genuine-sounding assurances from the CM.The state administration medical fraternity face-off escalated after Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee issued a stern warning of action against the strike during her visit to SSKM Hospital last Thursday. What could have also played on their minds was the rising public opinion against the continuing strike, especially after the CM's appeal for talks last weekend.The striking doctors returned to the NRS campus on Monday and, after another general-body meeting, made a statement: "We hereby announce the withdrawal of the strike by junior doctors."Several issues were discussed at the meeting. They ranged from security measures - collapsible gates for emergency wards, regulated entry for patients' kin and enhanced police presence on medical campuses with nodal officers responsible for law and order - to the CM's suggestion for third-party PR professionals, who could act as grief counsellors and handle communication between "overworked doctors" and "aggrieved patients' kin" and grievance cells for patients. "We are delighted with the cordial manner in which the meeting was held, the CM's caring touch and concrete suggestions and assurances to the issues raised by us," one of the junior doctors said."They (doctors) have genuine demands. We have listened to them and taken decisions to resolve them. This must be a continuous process. We have to see to it that such untoward incidents are averted and action is taken if something happens," Mamata said.The CM's "gentleness", however, came with the message that she could not be bullied. Urged by the junior doctors to visit the doctor who was injured in the NRS attack, and come to the NRS campus, she said, "Leave certain things to us...Give me your word that you will resume duty."