WBJDF alleges merit-based counselling ignored in new recruitment process; claims delegation was stopped and insulted during protest
Kolkata: Doctors associated with the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) held a protest march to Swasthya Bhawan on March 6, 2026, opposing the recently issued guidelines on the posting of senior residents in government hospitals and health centres across West Bengal.
According to the association, the gates of the health department headquarters were closed when the protesters arrived, with police personnel deployed around the premises. The group also alleged that some of their delegates who managed to reach the office of the Director of Health Education were insulted and forced to leave.
Protest Linked to Earlier Movement Over Doctor’s Death
The WBJDF stated that its broader movement began after the death of a doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in 2024.
According to the association, the protests that followed exposed the deteriorating condition of the state’s healthcare system and alleged corruption within hospital administration.
During the agitation last year, junior doctors had also organised a campaign to clean hospital premises, which they said highlighted the poor state of health infrastructure across government hospitals.
Doctors Oppose New Senior Resident Posting System
In a statement, the association alleged that the state health department delayed the posting of newly qualified senior resident doctors for nearly three and a half months before introducing a new recruitment mechanism that it described as confusing and arbitrary.
Doctors claimed the new system bypassed merit-based counselling and allowed authorities to post bonded senior residents to hospitals across the state without a transparent process.
According to WBJDF, the posting list was circulated through various channels after two consecutive government holidays before being uploaded on the official website, raising concerns about transparency.
Concerns Over Targeted Postings and Manpower Use
The association said the new policy raises several concerns, including alleged targeted placements, misuse of medical manpower, and obstacles to pursuing higher medical education.
The doctors argued that while they are willing to serve anywhere in the state, specialised doctors should not be posted to hospitals that lack the infrastructure required for their field of expertise.
“For example, sending a cancer specialist to a rural hospital that has no oncology infrastructure would waste their skills and serve little benefit to patients,” the association said.
They suggested that instead of such postings, the health department should conduct rapid recruitment of general duty medical officers and other healthcare workers in rural areas to strengthen primary healthcare services.
Allegations of Administrative Pressure
The protesting doctors further alleged that when their representatives attempted to submit their concerns at Swasthya Bhawan, the gates were barricaded and police were deployed to prevent entry.
Some delegates who managed to reach the office of the Director of Health Education claimed they were told there would be no counselling process for postings and that doctors unwilling to accept their assignments would have to pay a bond amount of ₹30 lakh.
They also alleged that officials stated exemptions for pursuing higher studies such as DM or MCh during the bond period would not be guaranteed.
The protest has once again brought attention to tensions between junior doctors and the state health administration over transparency in recruitment and postings within West Bengal’s public healthcare system.
