Vardhan condemns violence against doctors in WB

Within hours of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the BJP of orchestrating the ongoing junior doctors' strike in medical colleges across the state, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan countered Banerjee by pointing out that it was necessary to provide safe working conditions for doctors who worked under a lot of stress.

“It is necessary and important for the doctors to get a safe work environment. Doctors are an integral pillar of the society and often work under stressful and difficult conditions,” he said, condemning the violence.

Vardhan said he would take this matter up with the Chief Ministers so that such incidents could be avoided in the future.

While the Union Minister didn't specify the context for his comments, it came in the middle of a massive agitation among junior doctors in West Bengal after one of them was savagely hit by a mob at a Kolkata hospital in the wake of the death of an elderly patient.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee gave an ultimatum to the agitating doctors asking them to resume work or face consequences. The doctors didn't relent and demanded an apology from the Chief Minister before going back to their work.

As the agitation enters the third day, medical services across the eastern state have been impacted severely.