Seniors doctors at the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital resumed duties on Saturday, though junior doctors continued with the ceasework.

In NBMCH, senior doctors had told the authorities on Thursday evening that they could provide services at the emergency ward and in the wards for a maximum of 24 hours.

The principal and the vice-principal had written a letter to the state health department about the doctors’ decision.

On Friday, 119 of 300-odd senior doctors at the hospital resigned.

“We were worried as the 24-hour deadline ended on Friday night.... It was a relief to see the senior doctors resume duties,” a hospital official said.

The outpatient department remained closed, though.

A few senior doctors attended to some patients at a makeshift OPD near the emergency ward as junior doctors kept demonstrating near the emergency ward.

The picture was similar at the Malda Medical College and Hospital where the OPD remained shut.

The authorities tried to ensure senior doctors attended to patients at the emergency ward and in the indoor units.

Kaushik Bhattacharya, the district magistrate of Malda who is also the chairman of MMCH’s Rogi Kalyan Samity, visited the hospital on Saturday afternoon.

Amit Daw, the vice-principal, said there hadn’t been any change in the situation. “We could not run the OPD because of a shortage of doctors. Senior doctors are doing their best. We hope the situation will improve in a couple of days.”