2019 India doctors' strike

Various Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal On 11 June 2019, following the assault of two junior doctors at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital (NRSMCH) the previous night, junior doctors in Kolkata began protesting and demanded that the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, should intervene and provide adequate security to medical professionals.

[4][5] The doctors ignored the ultimatum, asking the government to meet their demands for security[6] and for the chief minister to give them a public apology.

62% of the doctors who answered the survey reported that they were unable to see their patients without any fear of violence, and 57% had also considered hiring security staff at their workplace.

[8] When healthcare workers were assaulted, they frequently resorted to peaceful strikes, which sometimes included termination of ward and emergency services.

[10] Instances of assaulting medical professionals in government and private hospitals is common in West Bengal[11] and India.

[12] In an incident in early June 2019, a case was registered against a 17-year-old boy and his friend for allegedly assaulting a doctor at a hospital in Maharashtra after his father died during treatment.

[12] Even earlier in April 2019, the administration of the Kaushal Sharma Hospital filed a police complaint against the relative of a patient who slapped a doctor.

[12] Another of these incidents occurred on the night of 10 June 2019 after Mohammed Shaheed, a 75-year-old patient from Tangra, Calcutta, passed away at NRS Medical College.

[15] Two intern doctors, Paribaha Mukhopadhyay and Yash Tekwani,[14] who were dealing with the protests by the deceased patient's relatives, were injured in the ensuing clashes.

[11] Paribaha suffered a deep dent in the frontal bone[14] as suggested by a CT scan image uploaded by doctors at the hospital.

[17] As protests entered the second day on 12 June 2019, patients across West Bengal were left without healthcare as junior doctors continued with the strike.

[15] West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) president and AITC MLA Nirmal Maji told Press Trust of India (PTI) that officials were trying to convince the doctors to resume work.

[19][20] The IMA asked state presidents and secretaries to organise demonstrations at their respective district collectors' officers between 10 am and 12 noon.

[20][19] On 13 June 2019, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee issued an ultimatum to the doctors on strike to return to work within 4 hours[22] (by 2 pm local time).

[29] The incumbent Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the protests are the result of a conspiracy between the Left Front and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).