Over 70 senior doctors of the Medical College, Kolkata, signed a “mass resignation” letter on Wednesday, showing solidarity with the juniors on a fast till death demanding justice for the RG Kar hospital rape-murder victim.

This was the second day when senior doctors of a state-run hospital tendered their mass resignation. The protest by the junior doctors received a fillip on Tuesday with 50 senior doctors from RG Kar medical College and Hospital resigning en masse in solidarity with the protesting juniors.

In the mass resignation letter, the senior doctors said they were concerned that the health of their colleagues, who are protesting for better work conditions in the aftermath of the rape and murder, was “deteriorating tremendously fast”.

“We, the undersigned doctors of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, have been striving to provide optimal hospital services. However, the current conditions have made it increasingly challenging to deliver the quality of patient care that is essential,” the letter said.

The junior doctors continued their ‘fast-unto-death’ for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday, demanding justice for the RG Kar rape murder victim and workplace safety.

Meeting the demands of agitating junior doctors, the West Bengal government last month removed Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, Deputy Commissioner (North) Abhishek Gupta, Director of Medical Education (DME) Kaustav Nayak and Director of Health Services (DHS) Debashis Halder.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had agreed to remove the Kolkata Police chief, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (north division) and the two health department officials from their posts after a meeting with a delegation of junior doctors at her residence in Kolkata.

CBI is probing into the rape-murder case of the junior doctor. Her body was found on August 9 inside the seminar room of R G Kar’s emergency building.

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