A doctors’ association on Monday expressed its “concern” over a recent government order that slapped fines on 31 senior resident doctors of government medical colleges of ₹20 lakh each for not serving in rural and semi-urban areas.

A health department official said the rules mandate that senior resident doctors who have completed their postgraduate or postdoctoral courses at medical colleges across Bengal serve three years at government healthcare units. This is called a bond period.

The official said that in the first year of the bond period, the senior resident doctors
can serve at their mother institute, where they completed their course. For the next two years, they must serve at peripheral hospitals that are not medical colleges and hospitals.

In case a senior resident doctor fails to do so the bond specifies that the senior resident can be fined ₹10 lakh per year, the official said.

At a news conference on Monday, the honorary secretary of the West Bengal Doctors Forum (WBDF), Kaushik Chaki, termed the fines as “a vengeful action by of the state spurred by the doctors’ protest triggered by the rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee inside the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital”.

Monday marked 122 days since the rape and murder on August 9.

According to Chaki, the senior resident doctors who have been fined did not get their release letters from the authorities of their original institutions where they were studying, and they had played an inherent role in providing medical services at these medical colleges and hospitals.

“This is a vengeful action. These doctors had not been issued their release letters from the college authorities. The state health department should ask the principals
and top officials of their medical colleges and hospital why they were not released after they completed the first year of their bond period,” said Chaki.

Peripheral hospitals include block hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals and primary health centres, among others, and are spread across the state, including rural areas of Bengal.

A senior health department official said in this case, the senior resident doctors had not served in peripheral hospitals for two years, which is clearly mentioned in the bond.

The official said in case of violation of the terms of the bond period, a senior resident doctor can be issued a fine of ₹10 lakh per year.

“These doctors had violated the government order and refused to serve at peripheral hospitals for two years so the fine amount comes to ₹20 lakh. The order had been sent to them. They chose not to abide by it and stayed back at their mother institutions and we have a right to fine them,” said the official.

The official said that the senior resident doctors who have been issued the fine had met state health department officials to present their case.

According to the official, the senior resident doctors during the course of the meeting had informed them that they had not received their release letters from the principals of their mother institutions.

“Let them give us in writing that the letters of release had not been issued by the principals of medical colleges. We will then enquire into it,” the official said.

Scholarships

The WBDF announced the Abhaya WBDF Scholarships for five students from financially weaker backgrounds who want to enrol in MBBS courses and scholarships for five others who have passed their Class X exams.

The honorary secretary of WBDF, Sanjoy Home Choudhury, said they would form a committee to select those eligible for the scholarships.

Doctors’ march

The West Bengal Junior Doctor’s Front (WBJDF) assembled at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Monday and lit candles to mark four months since the rape and murder of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee.

The doctors then marched to the Shyambazar intersection along with Medical Service Centre, another body of senior doctors.

Aniket Mahata, a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and a prominent face of the junior doctors’ protests, told Metro that they wanted exemplary punishment for all those involved in the rape and murder of their colleague.

“The Supreme Court is monitoring the case. It is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday. We are waiting for it and are keeping an eye on the proceedings at the lower court as well,” he said.

“Till today, the CBI, which is investigating the case, has stuck to the theory that only Sanjay Roy, who had been arrested hours after the incident, had raped and murdered our colleague. We still believe that it is not possible for a single man to act alone and do this. Till everyone involved in the rape and murder gets arrested, we will be out on the streets,” said Mahata.