The college council of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) on Monday announced decisions made against seven doctors and five medical students who were accused of involving in corruption and malpractices, resorting to highhandedness on the campus and issuing threats to others.
Indrajit Saha, the principal of the NBMCH, said the decisions were made based on the report submitted by a five-member committee constituted last week to probe into the allegations.
Last week, junior doctors and students had confined Saha and some other NBMCH officials to the principal's chamber to press for action against the errant people. During the protests, the dean and the assistant dean of student affairs resigned from their posts while Saha announced the committee to address their issues.
“There are three Group-A government employees who have been asked to go on indefinite leave. As the college council is not their disciplinary authority, the council will now write to the director of medical education (DME) about them, seeking necessary steps,” said the NBMCH principal.
The three are Sandeep Sengupta, former dean of student affairs, his deputy Sudipta Shil, and Nilabjo Ghosh, a resident medical officer in the neuro medicine department.
Along with them, the authorities have terminated the jobs of three house staff employees and suspended an intern.
The three are Shaheen Sarkar, Sahinul Islam, and Riturambha Sarkar. The intern is Soham Mondal.
“We will inform the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) about the decision against these four persons. The council, in due course, will decide whether to grant them registration,” Saha added.
The WBMC, headquartered in Calcutta, provides registration to doctors for medical practice in the state.
Last week, when Saha had filed a complaint at the police outpost in NBMCH, he had named three of them, including Nilabjo Ghosh. The other two are Saheen Sarkar and Soham Mondal.
Added to these junior and senior doctors, NBMCH authorities have also taken steps against five medical students.
“The students have been mentioned as discollegiates. They cannot attend classes or stay in hostels until the college council makes any further decision. Also, all these 12 persons have been debarred from entering the NBMCH campus unless they are called for some reason,” said a source.
During the protests, the students and junior doctors alleged that these junior doctors, who are close to Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, had manipulated the examination results of some other students who were close to them.
“We have gathered details of such students whose results were allegedly manipulated. Their roll numbers and other information would be sent to the West Bengal University of Health Sciences,” said Saha.
He mentioned that on Monday, Anupam Nath Gupta, who is in charge of the department of pharmacology, joined as the new dean of student affairs.
Such steps against some doctors and medical students, however, couldn’t dissuade Utpal Sarkar, the head clerk of NBMCH. As announced earlier, Sarkar held a daylong sit-in demonstration today on the issues of corruption and malpractices.
He said that instead of the principal, some people associated with TMC decide the posting of employees in different departments.
“Also, we are abused and threatened regularly if we don’t fall in line and support their malpractices,”said Sarkar.
Later in the day, the principal met him. “We will probe into his allegations. He will join his work tomorrow,” said Saha.
During the day, a delegation of Susrutanagar Nagarik Mancha — a citizens’ forum — submitted a memorandum to Saha. “We want the NBMCH authorities to work transparently and stop all corrupt practices,” said a representative of the Mancha.
