Junior doctors withdraw hunger strike after meeting Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Agitating junior doctors on Monday evening withdrew their weeks-long hunger strike over the RG Kar incident, hours after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The medics also called off their proposed strike across hospitals in the state on Tuesday.

“In today’s meeting (with the CM), we did get the assurance of some directives, but the body language of the state government was not positive... The common people have wholeheartedly supported us. They, as well as the parents of our deceased sister (RG Kar hospital victim), have been requesting us to call off the hunger strike, keeping in mind our deteriorating health.

“We are therefore withdrawing our ‘fast-unto-death’ and also Tuesday’s total shutdown in the health sector,” said Debashish Halder, one of the junior medics.

The decision was taken following a general body meeting of the doctors.