Services hit at Cal Med College Hosp as junior docs continue stir

KOLKATA: Health services were hampered at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) on Tuesday as the junior doctors continued an agitation demanding students' union election. Senior officials, including medical superintendent and various department heads, remained gheraoed till late Tuesday evening.

Pandemonium broke out when patients' family members broke open a lock put on the collapsible gate. Nursing personnel staged a counter demonstration as the nursing superintendent also remained gheraoed. Central lab of the hospital did not function for three hours in the morning. Situation started improving in the afternoon with the emergency ward and the outpatient departments (OPDs) slowly coming back to normalcy. The Pathological department also resumed but the X-ray and Biochemistry department did not properly function till late afternoon. A patient's relatives registered a PIL at the Calcutta High Court after the health services were affected.

As the senior officials were gheraoed by the agitating students various administrative works were held up. The supply of medicines to various wards of the hospital was also hampered. Blood tests were affected in the hospital due to the agitation. Blood test on a two and half year old girl was hampered. Surgeries were also delayed as the health services were delayed in indoor departments.

Incidentally, it may be mentioned here that the Students union election was announced by the medical college and authorities and it was scheduled to take place on December 22. But the decision was changed as the students were informed that the election was not going to take place. To protest the incident, the students started staging demonstrations in front of the chambers of the officials from Monday. Principal and various department heads were stuck in the gherao till late Tuesday evening. Nursing professionals staged counter demonstrations demanding the release of the nursing superintendent from the release.

Agitating students said that the students' union election was held for the last time in 2015 but no steps have been taken to hold the election. Principal of the CMCH Prof Dr Indranil Biswas said that the college authorities have no problem in holding the election. It will be done after the medical college gets clearance from the Finance department as it will require a huge amount of money.