West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will meet the protesting doctors in West Bengal at 3 pm on Monday to end the ongoing healthcare crisis in the state.
The invite, sent by the state health department, said a recorded version of the discussions and resolutions taken at the meeting will later be provided to them.
"No media will not be allowed inside. There was no such communication in their letter," said Pradip Mitra, Director of Medical Education.
The formal invitation was sent after the protesting doctors this morning said they did not receive any communication regarding the meeting.
"We have not received any such invitation regarding the meeting at the state secretariat at 3pm. This is a ploy to create confusion. And we have clearly said that the meeting should be done in the presence of media," a spokesperson of the joint forum of doctors told reporters.
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He said common people have the right to know about the discussions at the meeting since they are the biggest sufferers.
According to sources in the Chief Minister's Office, the meeting was called by Banerjee at the "insistence" of the agitating doctors, at the auditorium beside the state secretariat in Howrah.
West Bengal's health care services came to a screeching halt last week after two junior doctors were allegedly attacked by the family members of a patient who died due to alleged medical negligence.
Two junior doctors were severely injured in the attack which triggered nationwide outrage, calling for the safety and security of doctors who have been subjected to such assaults for a long time.
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Meanwhile, a nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is currently underway and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) which had earlier declined to join the protest on Monday reversed its decision after an alleged attack on one of its doctors in the national capital.
The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a petition seeking to ensure safety and security to all government doctors.
