Cardiac patient dies as Bengal's medical colleges shut doors

Kolkata: Despite the Joint Platform of Doctors assuring that emergency services will be provided during the 12 hour strike by junior doctors on Wednesday, not a single patient was treated at the emergency wards of state-run medical college and hospitals.

As a result of this, a cardiac patient who was referred from Canning Sub-Divisional Hospital, was allegedly refused treatment by the doctors at Chittaranjan National Medical College and Hospital (CNMC) and she died while returning to Canning.

On Wednesday, Additional Chief Secretary of the state Health and Family Welfare department appealed to the junior doctors, requesting withdrawal of their strike. But the agitating doctors have refused to hear the plea.

On Tuesday, the Joint Platform of Doctors had appealed to the junior doctors across the state to go for a 12 hour strike, keeping the emergency services operational. Arjun Dasgupta, a member of the forum, even assured that emergency services will be provided.

Amidst the strike on Wednesday afternoon, a woman identified as Sikha Gomosta, who was suffering from cardiac problems, went to CNMC after being referred from Canning Sub-Divisional Hospital. But despite repeated requests, doctors refused to attend to her. Later, the patient's family decided to take her back to Canning Hospital, but she died on the way.

When Dasgupta was asked about the whole thing in the evening, he stated that their forum has no control over the junior doctors. When he was told about Gomosta, he said: "It is unfortunate. We had asked the junior doctors to provide the emergency services, but they did not. Us senior doctors have provided emergency services."

However, despite his claim, not a single patient was treated in the emergency wards of state-run medical college and hospitals. Several critical patients were forced to go to private hospitals, while many who were admitted in the past few days, left the hospitals for lack of treatment.

Shaikh Yakub Ali (76) from Chandiberia in Hooghly was suffering from jaundice and stomach problems. He was admitted at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) a few days ago. But since Monday night, none of the doctors attended to him.

As his condition was deteriorating, Ali's son decided to take him home. "It is better for him to die at home than dying here," said Ali's son.

A seven-year-old child with fracture on her right hand was operated on Monday afternoon at the NRS Medical College and Hospital. She was scheduled be released on Thursday after dressing the wound. However, she has been discharged on Wednesday and doctors advised to get her wound dressed somewhere else.

The situation was also dire in Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, as relatives of patients got furious due to not getting proper treatment. Junior doctors were reportedly attacked by the relatives of the patients. It has been alleged that stones and bricks were pelted from outside the hospital.

Doctors even refused to sign on death certificates. A cancer patient identified as Urmila Pramanik had died on Tuesday night at around 9 pm. Her body was kept in the ward till Wednesday morning. Finally on Wednesday at around 10:30 pm, her family members received her body.

Meanwhile, the five accused arrested on Tuesday for assaulting the junior doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital, have been remanded to police custody till June 19.