The junior doctors and nurses at the Sagore Dutta Hospital in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district started a cease work after they were attacked by the relatives of a patient, who died in the State-run 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. A few doctors and nurses were injured in the attack.
“An incident took place on Friday. Police have already arrested four people. We are identifying those involved in the attack from CCTV cameras. They will be arrested soon,” Alok Rajoria, commissioner of the Barrackpore city police told media persons on Saturday.
People familiar with the matter said that a woman, Ranjana Sau, was brought to the hospital on Friday evening with breathing problems. Around 15-20 persons, including relatives and family members of the victim, attacked the on duty junior doctors and nurses after the patient died, over allegations of medical negligence.
“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,” Kiran Sau, the victim’s mother told the media.
Soon after the incident, junior doctors and nurses of Sagore Dutta Hospital started a cease work. A team of junior doctors from the West Bengal Junior Doctor’s Front, which spearheaded the 41-day strike over the RG Kar rape and murder, later visited the Sagore Dutta Hospital.
“We resumed essential services a few days back. But again, on Friday, doctors were attacked on the third floor 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 at Sagore Dutta Hospital.
The RG Kar Hospital incident on August 9 triggered a nation-wide uproar while junior doctors in all State-run hospitals in West Bengal went on a strike. The medics lifted their strike partially on September 21 after the 41-day impasse and resumed essential services. They were yet to resume OPD duties.
“They (the patient’s relatives) attacked with whatever they could find, including a flood plate and glass bottles. The police were there but they 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.
“We have conducted the security audit of the hospital. Talks have also been held with the hospital authorities to develop a SOP (standard operating procedure) to strengthen security inside the hospital premises,” Rajoria said.
