RG Kar case: HC appeals to docs, med students to call off agitation

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday appealed to the members of the medical profession to engage in discussion with senior state government officials and consider calling off the agitation so innocent patients coming to government hospitals do not suffer.

During the hearing of several petitions in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya was informed that the ongoing protests by the doctors and medical students in government medical college and hospitals have put the patients in the lurch.

The court observed that doctors are justified to stage a protest given the gruesome incident that took place. However, innocent patients should not suffer. They (doctors) have made basic demands which the state should look into, it was observed.

Stating that the joint forum of doctors and medical students have been impleaded as party in one of the petitions, the court directed that notice be served on the newly added party. “We are truly appreciative of the feelings vented out by the doctors and students, particularly concerning the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. However, there is a pious obligation on the part of doctors to treat the patients, more particularly the patients who come to the government medical college and hospitals and who are not from affluent strata of society,” the court observed.

The court directed: “Therefore, we will appeal to the learned members of the medical profession to discuss with senior officials of the state government and consider calling off agitation so the public coming to hospital are not put to prejudice.” The senior standing counsel intimated the court that the state government officials are already taking necessary efforts in this direction.