The ongoing protests at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), where two junior doctors have been on an indefinite hunger strike in support of the RG Kar incident, took a serious turn as one of them, Alok Verma, was hospitalised and admitted to the intensive care unit after a significant deterioration in his health.

Alok, who has been on a fast since Monday, is suffering from a low heart rate of around 50 bpm (beats per minute), severe muscle cramps and radiating pain, said the doctors attending to him.

While his condition remains critical, his fellow protester, Souvik, is continuing with the fast-unto-death strike in support of the demands raised by the junior doctors across the state after the August 9 rape and murder of the junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Calcutta.

While Alok is a first-year postgraduate student in psychiatry, Souvilk is an intern at the North Bengal Dental College & Hospital which is also on the NBMCH campus, in Susrutanagar on the outskirts of Siliguri.

Despite the deteriorating health of his colleague, Souvik said he was determined to continue with the protest until the 10-point demands of the junior doctors across the state were accepted by the Bengal government.

“I will not stop until the demands are met. The Bengal government must address our concerns,” said Souvik.

The protest, which revolves around demands related to better infrastructure, staffing, security and policy reforms at health institutions, has garnered support from various corners.

Sushree Sangita Jena, a former student of the NBMCH, expressed her concern over Alok’s health and criticised the state’s approach to the protesting junior doctors.

“This is very unfortunate. The state is indifferent to our demands. We, as former students of NBMCH, stand in solidarity with the protesters and will continue to support them until the end,” Jena said.

Many others who have shown support for the cause, also pointed out that the lack of response from the Mamata Banerjee government raised concerns about the potential health risks for those involved in the protests in Siliguri and Calcutta.

A section of senior doctors said that without immediate intervention, the situation could further escalate, putting more lives at risk.

“The medical fraternity is keeping a close watch on the health of the protesters while urging authorities to act swiftly,” said a senior doctor posted in the NBMCH.