Amid the anger and protests raging over the Kolkata trainee doctor’s rape and murder, Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal government on Saturday revoked the transfer order of 42 doctors posted at various medical colleges and hospitals across the state after criticism over the move announced earlier in the day.
Claiming that the transfer was a ‘routine exercise, West Bengal Health Secretary Swaroop Nigam said that the transfer exercise started two months before the crime took place on August 9.
“In West Bengal, their (doctors’) promotional exercise of Medical Education Service, their routine transfer exercise is a very long process. This process started 2 months before this incident. Its approval was also done a lot of days before this incident. But we have to do a lot of checking on it”, Principal Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department said.
“Looking at the situation here right now, we have to keep the service completely normal everywhere. Therefore, we have cancelled this order right now. After this, any further decision about it will be taken after a few days”, he added.
The revocation of the controversial ‘transfer’ order came hours after the BJP launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government over the move.
“On 16th Aug, West Bengal Govt’s Health Ministry issued an 8-page-long list of transfer orders, adding to the already chaotic situation. On Mamata Banerjee’s target is Medical College Kolkata and Calcutta National Medical College. These two are the epicentre of protests against her fascist regime”, BJP’s Amit Malviya posted on X. “So far, five professors from these two prestigious institutes have been transferred out to colleges in Siliguri, Tamluk, Jhargram etc. This is a desperate attempt to scare the senior doctor community into submission. What is Mamata Banerjee trying to hide?”
Even after the revocation of the tranfer orders, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya attacked the Bengal government calling it a ‘sinister ploy’ to instill fear among protesting doctors.
“If the Health Department of West Bengal Govt doesn’t know what it is doing, then Health Minister Mamata Banerjee should resign. Withdrawing transfer order of over 40 qualified senior doctors within 24 hours is a sinister ploy”, Malviya said in a post on X.
“The order was issued to target protesting doctors, instill fear in them and has now been withdrawn because it has served the intended purpose. But Mamata Banerjee should know that her attempts to crush the protests, using illegitimate means, is further fueling people’s anger”, he added.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry on Saturday asked doctors to end their nationwide strike against the gruesome rape and murder of the trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital and assured them that a committee tasked with proposing safety measures for healthcare professionals will be formed.
This committee, as per the centre, would include input from all relevant stakeholders, including state governments, who will be invited to share their insights and suggestions.
