A section of junior doctors at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital started a ceasework on Friday afternoon demanding that those involved in the alleged murder of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee be arrested within 48 hours.
The second-year trainee in the pulmonology department was found lying dead in a “seminar room” of the medical college early on Friday.
The junior doctors also alleged lack of adequate security for women working through the night and absence of basic facilities.
The protesters said on Friday night that the emergency room would remain functional but the other departments would be shut till their demands are met.
The ceasework was continuing till late on Friday.
At a meeting with the principal of the medical college, Sandip Ghosh, and other senior officials, including medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal Sanjay Vashisth and dean of student affairs Bulbul Mukhopadhyay, the junior doctors placed a charter of demands:
- Set up a judicial inquiry committee to probe the death of the second-year postgraduate trainee
- Question all personnel on duty on Thursday night
- The culprit has to be awarded capital punishment
- Install CCTV cameras in each of the departments
- Guards need to be vigilant 24X7
- A proper duty room with attached toilets has to be set up for doctors
- Adequate security has to be arranged at the hostels.
Senior officials of the medical college did not want to speak about the developments. “We want the truth behind the death to surface,” Vashisth said.
The meeting followed a candle light march by the junior doctors from the hospital to Shyambazar.
A number of junior doctors, while ruing the lack of basic facilities, said on condition of anonymity that they do not have a dedicated room or cubicle to rest at night.
Several colleagues of the young doctor who was found dead said they would rest in a room at night meant for the “sleep test”. But even that room would not be available if any patient undergoes the test.
“Since there is no dedicated room for us to rest, our colleague chose the seminar room after dinner at 2am. She was found lying dead in that room in the morning,” said a junior doctor in the chest medicine department. “There are no separate washrooms for men and women.”
The junior doctors also alleged that the guards on duty at night would doze off, leaving the doctors at the mercy of patients’ family members and friends, some of whom turn up drunk.
“We have complained about the lack of security to the dean several times. After every complaint, the guards remain alert throughout the night for a day or two and then go back to their usual way,” another doctor said.
Several junior doctors in the pulmonology department complained of inadequate CCTV coverage across the campus.
“The seminar room (where the postgraduate trainee was found dead) didn’t have a CCTV camera. You feel so insecure at times,” said a woman postgraduate trainee at RG Kar.
Because of the agitation, many patients and relatives went away from the hospital without getting treatment.