Bengal govt mulls strict action against agitating doctors

Kolkata, June 13 (IANS) West Bengal government is mulling strict action against the striking junior doctors in the state, including cancelling their registration and withholding the internship completion letter, if they do not resume their duty, West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) president Nirmal Maji said on Thursday.

He accused the opposition parties of fuelling the agitation among doctors as they want to stop the Mamata Banerjee government's free medical service scheme.

"We have to take appropriate action such as withholding their internship completion letter. Their registration may also be cancelled," Maji told IANS.

"The state government spends Rs 50 lakh for every medical student at the state run-hospitals. This facility may be stopped if the students do not abide by the medical ethics to serve the patients," he said.

Maji said the state administration is checking the CCTV footages to identify the outsiders taking part in the agitation in the hospitals.

"We are trying to identify the outsiders at various state-run hospitals and students' hostels. They will be removed from there immediately. The opposition parties -- BJP, CPI(M) and Congress -- have joined hands to instigate the intern-doctors and defame the state government," he said.

"They want our flagship programme of providing free treatment to people to be stopped. This is a conspiracy against the state government," Maji alleged.

Maji, a ruling party MLA, said the state government has taken up additional security measures such as deputing police personnel and increasing the number of CCTV cameras in all hospitals.

"As a security measure, only one member from the patient's side will be allowed inside the hospitals," he said.