Kolkata: Doctors associated with the
West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) went on a protest march to Swasthya Bhawan on
March 6, 2026, opposing the recently issued guidelines regarding
the posting of senior residents in government hospitals and health centres
across the state. However, the gates were closed, with police stationed nearby, and some delegates were reportedly insulted.Also Read:WB SR posting process under fire after 930 PG doctors deployed without merit counsellingThe association stated that its broader movement began after the death of a
colleague who was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at a government
hospital. According to WBJDF, that agitation exposed the
deteriorating condition of the healthcare system as well as widespread
corruption. As part of their 2024 protest activities, the association also launched a campaign to clean hospital premises, which it said highlighted the state of
health infrastructure.
In a statement, the
organisation alleged that after delaying the posting of newly qualified senior
resident doctors for around three and a half months, the health department
recently introduced a new recruitment mechanism that it described as confusing.
The association said the step appeared to be an assertion of administrative
authority.
The protesting doctors
demanded the safeguarding of merit-based counselling in postings, an end to
what they termed targeted placements, prevention of misuse and wastage of
manpower, and measures to restore medical education while supporting higher
studies.
In a recent press release,
the association stated that there are several unethical signs of power abuse in
this new recruitment process: First, the posting list was suddenly spread to
various sources by the people after two holidays of the health department and
before it came to their specific website, where the health department
completely ignored merit-based counselling and posted these bonded SRs in
different parts of West Bengal as per its own wishes. “We believe that the main
goal of the Health Department is to show their power and whether this posting
will be permanent for three years or will it change again, and even if it does,
no clear explanation has been given on what basis the changes may occur,” the
doctors added.
The association further
pointed out, “Secondly, it is a political vendetta to harass the protesting
doctors of the RG Kar movement and deliberately identifying certain places
where there is no scope for work for the past specialist students only due to a lack of infrastructure. Thirdly, it needs to be clearly stated that there is no
difficulty for the recently passed specialist student doctors to work anywhere
in West Bengal, but if a cancer doctor is sent to a remote rural hospital where
there is no infrastructure for cancer treatment, we believe that his talent
will be insulted. If the Health Department fills the vacancies of General Duty Medical
Officers along with other health workers in that place through a quick
recruitment process, then we think that the common rural people there will
benefit a lot.” Last year, the Supreme Court’s reprimand also came down on the
Health Department for the immoral postings of four doctors.Also Read:WB Junior Doctors Front ends ties with Former President over Executive Committee disputeThe association alleged
that when its representatives and other senior residents reached the health
facility following the march, the gate of the health facility was closed with huge
barricades, and a huge police force and the few delegations that reached the
office of the Director of Health Education, after passing that guard, were
insulted and thrown out of the room. The association further claimed that the health
officials stated, “To be clear, there will be no counselling, and
if you do not like the posting, then give the bond of 30 lakhs! He also said
that they will not give any fellowship or higher degree exemption during the
bond period; the exemption that is being given for DM or Mch is just their
kindness.”