Aug 19, 2024 02:29 PM IST
TMC MP Arup Chakraborty spoke out at a rally, warning doctors that “we will not save you” from public anger amid nationwide doctors’ strikes
Amid nationwide doctors’ strikes following the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital in Kolkata, Trinamool Congress MP Arup Chakraborty has warned doctors that “we will not save you” from public anger.
Arup Chakraborty made the statement during a public rally in Bankura, West Bengal, on Sunday, The Indian Express reported.
“In the name of the movement, you may go home or go about with your boyfriend. If a patient dies because of your strike and public anger falls on you, we will not save you,” The Indian Express quoted Arup Chakraborty as saying.
When questioned further, Arup Chakraborty refused to back down from his stance, saying, “Doctors are striking. In the name of a strike, if they go out and people don’t get treatment, naturally their anger will fall on them. We can’t save them.”
Doctor’s began striking after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered during her shift at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 in Kolkata.
As protests amped up and a mob attacked protesting doctors on August 14, the Indian Medical Association announced that except for emergency services doctors in the country would go on strike.
Nine days into the strike, health services in the country have faced issues from the lack of doctors. Dr Dhruv Chauhan, national council member of the Indian Medical Association’s junior doctors network, alleged, “Some hospital administrations are threatening doctors to return to duty while they are peacefully protesting for their rights.”
He also said that if the authorities had made the same efforts in ensuring the security of doctors, they would not be striking.
Other TMC leaders such as Kalyan Banerjee and Bengal Udyan Guha have also come out in support of Mamata Banerjee and threatened consequences for those attempting to ‘undermine’ her government.
