Junior Doctors’ Response to Court’s “Back to Work” Order Shapes People’s Movement admin, September 9, 2024 The announcement of the resolution came late on Monday evening, following a 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline set by the Supreme Court for the doctors to return to work. The protesting doctors expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court hearing, emphasizing that the protest is a people’s movement and should not be overlooked by the government or the court. The junior doctors at the RG Kar hospital, a focal point of the strike, stated that justice still seems out of reach despite the case being transferred from the High Court to the Supreme Court and from the state police to the CBI. They accused the state government of providing misinformation to the Supreme Court, disputing claims that the healthcare system has collapsed and refuting the reported 23 deaths due to the doctors’ strike. The Bengal branch of the Indian Medical Association pledged support for the junior doctors’ decision and expressed dismay at the lack of positive outcomes from the court and the CBI. They also rejected the portrayal of junior doctors as responsible for deaths in hospitals, asserting that hospital services have not been completely hampered by the movement. The junior doctors have maintained a “cease work” at state-run hospitals for almost a month. During the court hearing on Monday, the Chief Justice of India set a 5 p.m. deadline for the doctors to return to work, assuring that no adverse actions would be taken if they complied. However, he warned that continuous abstention from work could lead to disciplinary action in the future. The Chief Justice highlighted the severe disruption of healthcare services caused by the 28-day protest and emphasized that doctors must reciprocate the facilities provided by resuming work. The court’s involvement in the case stemmed from massive protests over the rape-murder of a 31-year-old doctor, allegedly by Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police who had access to all departments at the hospital. Kolkata Healthcare Crisis