Defying warnings of punitive action by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the stir by junior doctors in West Bengal continued for the fourth consecutive day on Friday with hundreds of doctors in state-run hospitals writing to the authorities saying they would “like to resign” from their services.

Between Thursday and Friday afternoon, as many as 642 doctors - professors, associate professors, assistant professors and medical officers - have written to the authorities.

Follow highlights here:

06:36 pm IST Don’t want to invoke Essential Services Maintenance (ESMA) Act in the state, says Mamata Banerjee West Bengal CM, Mamata: I do not want to invoke Essential Services Maintenance (ESMA) Act in the state. I want the junior doctors to resume work as we have accepted all their demands, reports news agency ANI.





06:32 pm IST Not going to take any stringent action: Mamata Banerjee Mamata Banerjee says, we never arrested a single person. We will not take any police action. Health services cannot continue like this. I am not going to take any stringent action. Let good sense prevail, reports news agency ANI.





06:28 pm IST Mamata Banerjee: We’ve accepted all their demands West Bengal CM: We’ve accepted all their demands. I had sent my ministers, principal secretary to meet the doctors, waited for 5 hours to meet doctors delegations yesterday & today, but they did not come. You have to give respect to the constitutional body, reports news agency ANI.





06:23 pm IST Mamata appeals to all doctors to resume work West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: I appeal to all doctors to resume work as thousands of people are awaiting medical treatment, reports news agency ANI.





06:16 pm IST Mamata: Govt committed towards resuming normal medical services at the soonest West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata: State government is committed towards resuming normal medical services at the soonest. The incident on 10th June was unfortunate. We had continuously tried to reach a solution, reports news agency ANI.





03:39 pm IST Health Minister asks to consider enacting specific legislation for protecting doctors In his letter, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asks Chief Ministers to consider enacting specific legislation for protecting doctors, medical professionals, reports news agency PTI.





03:32 pm IST Harsh Vardhan calls for strict action against any person who assaults doctors Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan writes to all Chief Ministers, calls for strict action against any person who assaults doctors,reports news agency PTI.





3:07 pm IST Mamata Banerjee to visit injured doctor, strikers to boycott meet with CM Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to visit private hospital Saturday afternoon to see a young doctor who is recuperating after an attack at the NRS hospital which sparked a widespread strike by junior doctors which began on Tuesday.





3:02 pm IST MHA sought report on the ongoing strike from West Bengal government Sources: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued another advisory to West Bengal state government on the ongoing strike by doctors and sought a report on the matter urgently, reports news agency ANI.





3:01 pm IST MHA pointed out growing number of incidents of election-related casualties MHA Sources: Pointing out the growing number of incidents of election related and political violence and casualties over 4 years from 2016 to 2019,Ministry of Home Affairs in an advisory issued to state government said,”unabated violence over the years is evidently a matter of deep concern,” reports news agency ANI.





2:58 pm IST Centre has sought report from West Bengal government on measures taken to contain political violence MHA Sources: Centre has sought a report from West Bengal government on measures taken to contain political violence and investigate such incidents of violence to bring culprits to book, reports news agency ANI.





2:57 pm IST Doctors at Northern Railway Central Hospital observe strike Delhi: Doctors at the Northern Railway Central Hospital observe strike over violence against doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal. Delhi: Doctors at the Northern Railway Central Hospital observe strike over violence against doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/DD60gmfjvn — ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2019





2:51 pm IST WBCPCR urges doctors to end strike, claims children dying due to lack of treatment The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) on Saturday urged the agitating doctors of the state to call off their strike because children are dying for lack of timely critical medical services, reports news agency ANI.





1:26 pm IST More Delhi doctors join hands to protest as Bengal stir enters Day 5 Scores of doctors from several government hospitals here, who could not join a nationwide stir on June 14, Saturday protested in solidarity with their striking colleagues in Kolkata. Doctors at the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital and RML Hospital, and Delhi government facilities such as Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and DDU Hospital, boycotted work and held protests.





1:21 pm IST Resident doctor at AIIMS, Delhi continues with symbolic protest Delhi: Resident doctor at All India Institute of Medical Sciences continues with symbolic protest by wearing helmet.





12:20 pm IST We condemn the incident of violence against doctors in West Bengal: Medical Superintendent, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital VK Tiwari, Medical Superintendent, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi: Resident doctors are on strike today. They have suspended work only in OPD and wards, Emergency services are running normally. We condemn the incident of violence against doctors in West Bengal. VK Tiwari, Medical Superintendent, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi: Resident doctors are on strike today. They have suspended work only in OPD and wards, Emergency services are running normally. We condemn the incident of violence against doctors in West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/AZaLDJwno7 — ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2019





12:03 pm IST Doctors at many hospitals in Delhi protest on Saturday over West Bengal violence Scores of doctors from several government hospitals here, who could not join a nationwide stir on June 14, Saturday protested in solidarity with their striking colleagues in Kolkata. Doctors at the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital and RML Hospital, and Delhi government facilities such as Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and DDU Hospital, boycotted work and held protests, reports news agency PTI.





11:28 am IST Junior doctors of NRS medical and hospital continue their strike Kolkata: Junior doctors of NRS Medical and Hospital continue their strike for the fifth day over violence against doctors. Kolkata: Junior doctors of NRS Medical and Hospital continue their strike for the fifth day over violence against doctors. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/FIAlKIFwDR — ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2019





11:00 am IST Bengal junior doctors seek unconditional apology from Mamata Banerjee The junior doctors, who are protesting against the assault on two of their colleagues at NRS Medical College and Hospital, had on Friday sought unconditional apology from Mamata Banerjee and set six conditions for the state government in order to withdraw their stir, reports news agency PTI.





10:36 am IST If condition worsens we will go on indefinite strike from June 17: Junior doctors’ association president, AIIMS Amrinder Singh Malhi, President, RDA (Resident Doctors’ Association), AIIMS: All resident doctors are back to work but we will continue with symbolic protest by wearing black badges, bandages and helmets. If condition worsens we will go on indefinite strike from June 17. Amrinder Singh Malhi, President, RDA (Resident Doctors' Association), AIIMS: All resident doctors are back to work but we will continue with symbolic protest by wearing black badges, bandages&helmets. If condition worsens we will go on indefinite strike from June 17. pic.twitter.com/nOxcqPCSsi — ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2019





10:24 am IST IMA delegation meets Harsh Vardhan over ongoing strike Delhi: Indian Medical Association (IMA) delegation meets Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan over the ongoing strike of doctors in West Bengal. Delhi: Indian Medical Association (IMA) delegation meets Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan over the ongoing strike of doctors in West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/0GDIcaDHQs — ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2019





10:23 am IST Striking junior doctors say they won’t attend meeting called by Mamata Banerjee at state secretariat on Saturday evening Striking junior doctors say they won’t attend meeting called by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at state secretariat on Saturday evening, news agency PTI.





10:08 am IST Calcutta High Court seeks details of steps taken by govt on doctors’ strike A PIL has been filed in Calcutta High Court by Kunal Saha of People for Better Treatment, seeking that the doctors’ strike in the state be declared illegal. The HC has sought details of what steps had been taken by West Bengal on attack on doctors and the doctors’ strike, by next Friday. Next hearing to take place next week. : ANI





9:47 am IST Calcutta High Court refuses to pass interim order on strike Calcutta high court has refused to pass interim order on strike by junior doctors in state-run hospitals, and has asked West Bengal government to persuade them to rejoin work, reported news agency PTI.





9:12 am IST Mamata Banerjee yesterday invited agitating doctors for meeting Mamata Banerjee yesterday invited agitating doctors for meeting at state secretariat to resolve impasse, medicos refusd, reports news agency PTI.





9:01 am IST At least 100 doctors in government hospitals in Bengal want to resign As many as 100 doctors in state-run hospitals across West Bengal have written to the authorities expressing their desire to resign from the services. Between Thursday and Friday afternoon as many as 92 doctors -- professors, associate professors, assistant professors and medical officers -- wrote to the authorities expressing their desire to step down.



