Junior docs cease work, three children dead due to 'negligence'

Kolkata: Three children who were taken to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital (BMCH) in the past 24 hours have died due to alleged negligence caused by the ceasework of junior doctors at the hospital, which lasted till Friday evening.

The incident sparked a row inside the hospital premises on Friday when the junior doctors refused appeals of the hospital authorities to lift the agitation and continued ceasework, affecting the health services of the hospital.

Normalcy was restored gradually in the hospital premises after the agitation was withdrawn. The junior doctors had started the ceasework from Thursday after some doctors were heckled by the relatives of a patient. Some important surgeries were reportedly affected at the emergency department of the hospital following the ceasework. Considering the situation, the hospital superintendent urged the agitating doctors to withdraw the ceasework.

He told the junior doctors that action will be taken against the accused and that he had already taken up the matter with the senior district administrative officials. However, the junior doctors remained unmoved and continued the agitation till Friday evening.

According to sources, local councillor Khokan Das was seen at the premises and he had allegedly lashed out at the junior doctors over the ceasework. Following tremendous pressure from hospital authorities, the junior doctors withdrew the agitation and resumed work. As a result of today's agitation, the patients visiting the out-patient department were seriously inconvenienced. Some of the senior doctors also expressed their dissatisfaction over the ceasework.

The family members of the three children alleged negligence on the part of the hospital. Hospital authorities are yet to confirm the names of the three children. The family members of the deceased alleged that the victims died as there was no treatment done at the hospital. According to hospital sources, the hospital blood bank did not function properly on Friday as a result of which the Thalassemia patients were denied blood. Many of the relatives of the patients who are admitted at the hospital were told that surgeries would be performed the next week. The medical superintendent also assured the agitating doctors that security for the doctors and nurses would be tightened by the beginning of next week.