Kolkata, Oct 11 (IANS): West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant sent an email to the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front (WBJDF) late on Friday, with a status update on the initiatives undertaken by the state Health Department at different medical colleges & hospitals in the state in wake of the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata in August.
In the email, he also requested the six junior doctors to withdraw their ongoing fast-unto-death agitation which has entered the seventh day on Friday.
As per the status report, in order to enhance the safety and security of medical professionals, extensive infrastructural developments are underway across various medical colleges and the state government is installing a total of 7,051 CCTVs, 893 new duty rooms, and 778 washrooms at different medical colleges and hospital in the state.
"The state government has allocated over Rs 113 crore for these projects in medical colleges alone. All tasks have been prioritised, and over 90 per cent of the sanctioned projects are nearing completion, except at RG Kar, where the necessary NOC from the investigating authorities was received just two days ago. It is expected all ongoing projects will be completed by October 15, 2024," read the status report, a copy of which is available with IANS.
The state government claimed that to ensure comprehensive stakeholder involvement, a Stakeholders Committee has been established in every medical college and hospital, comprising Heads of Departments, senior and junior doctors, and nursing staff. At the same time, it added, the state government has constituted a state-level Grievance Redressal Committee. Any grievances, complaints or issues of concern from healthcare stakeholders can be reported to the State Grievance Redressal Committee via email.
Other initiatives taken by the state government in this regard, as claimed in the status report, include a committee for security audit of all medical colleges and the assigning of 1,113 dedicated woman constables for medical colleges and hospitals, among others.