Kolkata, Sep 13 (IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Friday that the state government will pay compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of 29 persons who died due to 'disruptions in health services' owing to the ongoing 'cease work' call given by the junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last moth.

Since August 9, the day the body of the trainee doctor was found in the seminar hall of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, the junior doctors in West Bengal have been on a cease work protest, pressing the government to meet their demands, which include the removal of top officials in the state Health Department, including the Health Secretary, Director of Health Services, and Director of Medical Education, among others.

In a post on X, Mamata Banerjee said, "It is sad and unfortunate that we have lost 29 precious lives due to disruption in health services because of long-drawn cease work by junior doctors. In order to extend a helping hand to the bereaved families, the state government announces a token financial relief of Rs 2 lakh to the family members of each deceased person."

The protesting junior doctors, however, have repeatedly denied the allegations of the state government that health services in the state has been disrupted because of their cease work protest.

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), under whose banner the protests are being conducted, has said that if the absence of junior doctors can result in the collapse of the entire healthcare system in West Bengal, it shows how pathetic the system is, with inadequate trained doctors and lack of associated medical staff.

The WBJDF has also given some statistics to support of their claims.

According to the doctors' body, of the 245 state-run hospitals in West Bengal, only 26 are medical colleges, adding that the total number of junior doctors in West Bengal is around 7,500 as against around 93,000 registered doctors.

After efforts to hold talks between the state administration and the protesting medics failed again on Thursday over the latter's demand to live telecast the meeting, the Chief Minister had said, "I tried my best to sit with the junior doctors. I waited three days for them... As per Supreme Court's instruction, they must join duty."

On Monday, the Supreme Court had said that the protesting junior doctors in West Bengal must resume their duties by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, failing which the state government will be authorised to initiate disciplinary action against them.

However, unnerved by the Supreme Court ultimatum, the junior doctors vowed to continue their agitation and gave a call to march to the Swasthya Bhavan on Tuesday afternoon. The impasse between the two sides has continued since then.