Docs, Nurses Attacked: After RG Kar Agitation, Another Strike At A Bengal Hospital

Kolkata: Just a week after junior doctors ended their 41-day ceasework over the brutal rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, a fresh strike has been announced at another state-run hospital in West Bengal.

This time, it’s at the Sagore Dutta Hospital in North 24 Parganas district where doctors and nurses were attacked by relatives of a patient who died while undergoing treatment at the government medical college and hospital late on Friday night.

Police said that four persons have already been arrested and the security in the hospital was being strengthened.

After a few junior doctors and nurses were injured in the incident, they started ceasework, demanding proper security and safety measures, which has been one of the primary demands of West Bengal Junior Doctor’s Front (WBJDF) over the last month and a half months, ever since the body of a trainee doctor was found in semi-naked state at RG Kar.

“An incident took place on Friday. Police have already arrested four people. We are identifying all those involved in the attack from CCTV cameras. They will be arrested soon,” Barrackpore city police commissioner Alok Rajoria told mediapersons on Saturday.

Ranjana Sau, the deceased at Sagore Dutta, was brought to the hospital with breathing problems on Friday evening.

“My daughter was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems. They didn’t even treat the patient. I requested them to do something, but we were asked to wait. They didn’t give any medicine. My daughter stopped breathing and passed away,” the victim’s mother Kiran Sau told mediapersons.

Around 15-20 persons, including relatives and family members of the victim, then attacked the on-duty junior doctors and nurses accusing them of medical negligence.

“They (patient’s relatives) attacked us with whatever they could find, including a plate and glass bottles. The police were there but stood as spectators. When we went to lodge a protest with the hospital authorities, we were told that we were being able to protest as we are government employees,” said a nurse.

As junior doctors and nurses began their protest in front of the hospital, a team of doctors from WBJDF — which spearheaded the 41-day strike over the RG Kar crime — visited Sagore Dutta Hospital to show their solidarity.

“We resumed essential services a few days back. But again, on Friday, doctors were attacked on the third floor (of Sagore Dutta) in the female medicine ward. Is it possible for us to work in an ambience where doctors and nurses are threatened by another RG Kar-like incident and attacked? All we want is some safety and security,” said Pranoy Sarkar, a senior resident doctor at the College of Medicine, Sagore Dutta Hospital.