The state medical council brought forward its scheduled meeting on Monday, the first one since the junior doctors’ protests began in August, apparently to avoid a section of senior doctors who had planned to gherao the council’s members.

Avik De, a member of the council who was accused of being present in the seminar room where the body of a junior doctor raped and murdered at RG Kar hospital was found on August 9, attended Monday’s meeting.

The council had barred De from all its activities in September, but the decision was later withdrawn, said sources in the council.

The meeting of the West Bengal Medical Council was scheduled to start at 1pm but it was brought forward to 10am.

The Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD), an umbrella organisation of several doctors’ associations, had announced a gherao of the council’s members and asked doctors and others to assemble outside the council’s Salt Lake office from Monday noon.

The council stumped them and brought forward the meeting to 10am, informing the members over the phone about the change in time at the 11th hour.

“The meeting was scheduled for 1pm. We called up all the members on Sunday and informed them that it had been brought forward to 10am. The time was changed to complete the meeting early,” said Manas Chakraborti, the registrar of the council.

He denied that the decision was taken to avoid the
protesters.

Chakraborti’s position as the council’s registrar is in question. The state health department asked the council last month to appoint a new registrar since the incumbent was appointed without the state’s approval.

“We discussed the appointment of a new registrar. The council gave its nod and an advertisement to appoint a new registrar will be published soon,” Chakraborti said.

Several members of the council did not attend the meeting. Sources said Santanu Sen, a former Trinamool MP and a government-nominated member of the council, was not present at the meeting.

The presence of De, a postgraduate trainee at SSKM Hospital, drew a lot of attention as he was accused by doctors of intimidation and manipulating appointments at government hospitals.

The state health department suspended De on September 5. He was also barred by the council from all its activities.

“The order was withdrawn and he is now a member of the council,” said the source.

Repeated calls to De from this newspaper on Monday went unanswered.

JPD members started protesting outside the council’s office around 2pm when the word spread that the meeting had been held earlier in the morning.

“How could Avik De be allowed to attend the meeting. Also, the registrar’s appointment has been questioned by the state health department. But he is still in the post. There are serious questions about the integrity of the council and many of its members,” said JPD member Tamonas Chaudhuri.