Security: Many gray areas come to fore at NBMCH
Siliguri: Amid the protests at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) launched by doctors and medical students surrounding the brutal rape murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RK Medical College and Hospital, many grey areas relating to security have come to the fore. The NBMCH has less number of CCTV cameras, many of the cameras are non-functional, multiple entry points and inadequate number of security guards are some of the areas of primary concern.
Junior doctors and medical students studying at the college raised the issues. According to them, there are fewer security guards at the hospital than are required.
Dr Sandeep Sengupta, Dean of NBMCH, visited the hospital late on Saturday night to review the condition. He said: “We have visited the hospital. We are trying our best to ensure student security. There is a police outpost here also.”
Dr Sanjay Mallick, Superintendent of the hospital, added: “The hospital is 56-years-old and is scattered over a large area. Other medical colleges are housed in one or two buildings but the NBMCH is scattered. Many departments are located at distances from each other. There are multiple entry points. The number of security personnel is also insufficient compared to requirements.”
Sources stated that the number of CCTVs installed are not sufficient and many among them are non-functional. All these issues have been brought to the notice of the concerned authorities and the Rogi Kalyan Samity apprised the authorities months ago. Meanwhile, the doctors and medical students of NBMCH have been staging protest demonstrations for the past two days in the premises of the NBMCH. Sahariyar Alam, a protester, said: “She (the deceased) had numerous injuries on her body. A single person could not have done this. Many culprits were involved in the incident. We want all the culprits to be punished severely.”
Similar protests and demonstrations were launched in other hospitals of the North Bengal districts.The junior doctors and house staff of Malda Medical College and Hospital are on a strike demanding exemplary punishment of the offenders in the RG Kar Hospital incident on Sunday. The movement has cast a shadow on the medical services of the Emergency and Maternity departments.
