'Fast-unto-death' continues over Kolkata rape-murder, 4th doctor hospitalised

A protesting junior doctor was admitted to a hospital after his health deteriorated during a fast-unto-death over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at West Bengal's RG Kar Medical Centre and Hospital, taking the total number of junior doctors who have been hospitalised in the course of their fasting protest to four.

In Short

• Total of four junior doctors hospitalised due to fasting protest
• Doctors demand justice for raped and murdered colleague
• Protest demands include improved hospital security and staffing

Another agitating junior doctor, who has been on fast-unto-death since October 5, was on Sunday night rushed to a hospital after his health deteriorated, an official at the medical establishment said.

Pulastha Acharya of the NRS Medical College and Hospital was taken to the hospital after he complained of severe stomach pain, he said.

With Acharya, the total number of junior doctors who have been hospitalised in the course of their fasting protest reached four.

Aniket Mahato of RG Kar Medical and Hospital, Anustup Majumdar of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, and Alok Verma of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital needed medical care earlier after a deterioration in their health.

"Pulastha is in the CCU and his parameters have deteriorated. We have formed a medical board to treat him," a senior doctor of the NRS Medical College and Hospital told PTI.

At the beginning, 11 junior doctors were on a fast-unto-death demanding justice for the woman medic of the RG Kar Hospital, who was raped and murdered in August.

The doctors are also demanding an improvement in their security at the hospitals and the immediate removal of State Health Secretary NS Nigam.

Their other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for hospitals and medical colleges, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions such as CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at workplace.

They are also demanding increased police protection in hospitals, recruitment of permanent women police personnel, and swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.

The doctors went on strike following the rape-murder of a fellow medic at RG Kar on August 9.

They ended their stir after 42 days on September 21 following assurances from the state government to look into their demands.