Kolkata, Oct 15 (IANS): Two more junior doctors have joined the fast-unto-death protest demonstrations at Esplanade in Kolkata on Tuesday, seeking justice for their colleague at R. G. Kar Hospital who was raped and murdered in August.

They are Rumelika Kumar from All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health and Spandan Chowdhury from Midnapore Medical College & Hospital.

With the joining of Kumar and Chowdhury, the total number of junior doctors on hunger strike at Esplanade currently stands at seven.

"More will join the hunger strike accordingly as the previous participants in the protest will have to be admitted at the hospital following deteriorations in their medical conditions," said a representative of West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, an umbrella body of junior doctors spearheading the movement on the issue.

"Our protests on the issue have been going on for the last 66 days. Many of our fellow junior doctors are on hunger strike. We want to send the message to the state government and the Chief Minister that our protests on this issue will continue," said Spandan Chowdhury after joining the hunger strike.

Rumelika Kumar said that the intensity of their protest movements will increase further in the coming. "The medical fraternity in the state is united on this issue. The common people are with us," she said.

The hunger strike, which began on October 5, entered the 11th day on Tuesday.

So far, five junior doctors, who had been on the hunger strike, had to be hospitalised as their health deteriorated, with the latest being Tanaya Panja of Calcutta Medical College & Hospital late Monday evening.

The other four were Aniket Mahato of R. G. Kar, Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Calcutta Medical College & Hospital, Plastya Acharya of N. R. S, Medical College & Hospital and Alok Verma of North Bengal Medical College & Hospital at Siliguri in Darjeeling district.