"People's Movement": Junior Doctors' Response To Court's "Back To Work" Order

The junior doctors of Kolkata have declared that they would continue their protest against the horrific rape-murder of a young doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital till justice is done. The announcement came late on Monday evening - hours after the Supreme Court gave them a 5-pm-Tuesday deadline to join work. 

The doctors said the protest is "a people's movement and neither the government nor the Supreme Court should forget that". 

"We are extremely disappointed by the Supreme Court hearing... the case has been transferred from the High Court to the Supreme Court, from the state police to the CBI. But justice is still out of reach," said a spokesperson of the junior doctors at the RG Kar hospital, the epicentre of the strike.  

Accusing the state government of providing misinformation to the Supreme Court, the doctors said it is not correct to say that the healthcare system has collapsed. The state health department, in its affidavit, has said 23 people have died due to the doctors' strike.

In a media communique earlier, the Bengal branch of the Indian Medical Association said they would support the decision of the junior doctors whatever it may be. 

"We were expecting a positive outcome keeping in mind the brutality of the offense. However we are totally disheartened by the proceedings of the court and CBI. No step was taken for a speedy trial to deliver justice to our colleague... It was also very much shocking to note the way the junior doctors were portrayed as responsible for few deaths in the hospitals is totally false and in no hospital the service is completely hampered due to the movement of the junior doctors," the statement read.

The junior doctors have been observing "cease work" at state-run hospitals for nearly a month now. 

During its hearing of the case earlier on Monday, the top court had said the protesting doctors should return to work by Tuesday evening. 

"In order to create a sense of confidence we state that in the event that doctors come to work by 5 PM tomorrow, no adverse actions shall be taken. If there is continuous abstention from work despite the facilities given, there will be likelihood of action in future," Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had said.

Pointing out that the 28-day protest has severely disrupted healthcare services, the Chief Justice said, "They are in a system to render service. We will provide facilities but they have to reciprocate. If doctors do not resume work, then we cannot stop the government from taking disciplinary action". Junior doctors cannot say seniors are working, so they won't, he added.

The top court's direction came during a hearing of the case, which the court had taken up on its own after massive protests of the rape-murder of the 31-year-old doctor last month. The prime suspect who has been arrested is Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police who was stationed at the police outpost at the hospital and had access to all departments.