Junior doctors, protesting RG Kar horror, begin fast unto death ahead of Durga Puja
Kolkata (PTI): The junior doctors, protesting over the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital, went on fast unto death on Saturday evening, claiming that their demands were not fulfilled by the West Bengal government.
With three days left before the Durga Puja festivities start, the doctors had on Friday begun a sit-in demonstration at the Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala in the heart of Kolkata, setting a 24-hour deadline for the state government to fulfil their demands.
"The state government has failed the deadline and hence we are starting the fast unto death, which will continue till our demands are fulfilled. To maintain transparency, we have installed CCTV cameras at the dais where our colleagues are holding the fast," a junior doctor said.
"We joined duty last night but will not eat anything," he said, adding that at present six junior doctors were sitting on fast.
The six doctors who were sitting on the fast were identified as Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja and Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, SSKM's Arnab Mukhopadhyay, Pulastha Acharya of NRS Medical College and Hospital, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra of KPC Medical College.
The state would be held responsible if any doctor fell ill during the fast, the junior doctor said.
"We have the support of the people, and that is the reason we are not scared of any sort of hindrances by the administration. We will continue our hunger strike until our demands are met," he added.
A large number of common people and a few celebrities were present at the protest site in the evening.
The junior doctors had on Friday night called off their 'total cease work', which had crippled healthcare services at state-run medical colleges and hospitals.
Earlier in the day, the medics alleged the police were not allowing them to set up the dais.
Kolkata Police had denied the junior doctors' request for permission for the sit-in, stating that the road witnesses heavy traffic flow.
The protesting doctors had also alleged that they were baton-charged by the police on Friday night.
Promising "necessary action", Kolkata Police in an e-mail asked them to identify the police personnel involved and lodge a complaint.
"With reference to the allegation of physical assault, the matter is being enquired. However, you are requested to direct the doctor/person who has allegedly been assaulted to lodge a formal complaint at the concerned Police Station, necessary action will be taken in accordance with the law," the mail said.
The protesters emphasised that securing justice for the deceased woman medic remains their foremost priority.
Among the other nine demands, they called for the immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam, as well as accountability for the alleged administrative incompetence and corruption within the Health Department.
Other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
Furthermore, they are advocating increased police protection in hospitals, the recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and the swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.
The junior doctors went on "cease work" following the rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government of looking into their demands.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
