Principal, Superintendent of NRS Medical College resign as protest by junior docs over assault on colleague continues

In what may increase further pressure on the West Bengal government headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, two top officials of  NRS Medical College and Hospital, where two junior doctors were attacked by a mob following the death of a patient, resigned on Thursday. 

Emergency wards, outdoor facilities, pathological units of many state-run medical colleges and hospitals and a number of private medical facilities in the state remained closed for the third day due to the strike by the doctors who are protesting after two of their colleagues were attacked and seriously injured at the NRS Medical College and Hospital here by a mob following the death of a patient.

On Thursday, Saibal Kumar Mukherjee, the Principal of Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College, resigned from his post with immediate effect. Along with him, Saurabh Chattopadhyay, Medical Superintendent cum Vice Principal of the NRS Medical College and Hospital, also sent his resignation to the West Bengal government. 

With these two officials, the total number of resignations at the NRS Medical College has reached seven. Five doctors from the Forensic Medicine Department have also resigned. 

In another case, 18 people have resigned in Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital, North 24 Parganas district.  While eight doctors had resigned earlier, the resignation of 10 more doctors from Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital was received by the Bengal Health Department on Thursday evening.

This comes even as Mamata Banerjee wrote to senior doctors of all medical colleges and hospitals in the state and requested them to continue taking care of patients. Banerjee, in a communication issued with her official letterhead, requested the senior doctors to take full care of the hospitals and run them smoothly.

"Please take care of all patients. The poor people are coming from all districts. I will be obliged and honoured if you all take full care of the hospitals. Hospitals must run smoothly and peacefully. Thanks for your full cooperation," Banerjee wrote in the letter.

Medical services have been affected in the state since Saturday's attack on two junior doctors by relatives of a patient, who had died at NRS Medical College and Hospital. One of the junior doctors was grievously injured in the incident. 

Meanwhile, North Bengal Medical College Hospital’s Superintendent has written to the Department of health that the entire staff of the hospital has gone on a strike following Ms Banerjee's statement on Thursday. The superintendent said that it is difficult to run the hospital beyond 24 hours without adequate manpower and security.

Mamata Banerjee came down heavily on the protesters on Thursday alleging that opposition BJP and CPI(M) were provoking the doctors and giving communal colour to the issue.

She gave the doctors a four-hour deadline to rejoin service, but later revised it to 2 pm. Warning of strict action against those who do not resume work, she said they will have to vacate hostels.

Striking junior doctors across West Bengal, however, defied the Chief Minister and refused to end their strike till their demands on security in government hospitals are met.

A joint platform of doctors met Governor K N Tripathi, who appealed them to resume duties. 

In a Facebook post, the chief minister highlighted the plight of patients in hospitals due to the ongoing strike and claimed the government was cooperating with doctors. 

She described the injuries sustained by the two junior doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital as "unfortunate".

Five persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, Banerjee said, adding that an inquiry has also been ordered to look into the complaint of negligence during treatment, resulting in the death of the patient.

(With PTI inputs)