Junior doctors at government medical colleges, who have been on a cease-work over the RG Kar rape and murder, have started outreach clinics, but their absence from emergency and indoor wards are still resulting in denial of treatment to many patients.

The Telegraph was witness to the plight of some such patients on Sunday.

Purnima Das, 48, a resident of Basirhat in North 24-Parganas, was worried about husband Subir Das, in his 50s, whose surgery has been postponed because of the
cease-work.

“It has been nine days since my husband was admitted to NRS Medical College and Hospital with a fracture in his waist. At the time of admission, doctors told us that he needed immediate surgery. But the doctors have not yet been able to schedule the operation because of the cease-work,” said Purnima.

“I have requested the doctors several times for a date, but in vain. My husband has developed bedsores,” she
said.

This newspaper reported on Sunday that more than 5,000 planned surgeries have been cancelled at the 26 government medical colleges in Bengal since the cease-work started on August 9, after a junior doctor was found raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Urmila Das, 30, who is suffering from jaundice, was referred to SSKM Hospital by doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital on Sunday.

“My wife was admitted to a government hospital in Kalyani for 12 days. On August 26, doctors at the Kalyani hospital said we should shift her to Medical College Kolkata or SSKM Hospital. Both hospitals refused her admission but we could get her admitted to NRS,” said Dharam Lal Rai, Urmila’s husband.

But on Sunday, doctors at NRS told the family that Urmila’s further treatment was not possible there and referred her to SSKM.

Subhajit Mondol, 22, a resident of the Sundarbans who met with an accident on Friday, was denied admission at Medical College Kolkata on Sunday.

“My brother fell from a motorbike on Friday. We took him to Basirhat District Hospital, where he was treated for two days. The doctors there referred him to Medical College Kolkata this morning,” said Gourango Mondol, Subhajit’s brother.

“After coming here, we were told to take my brother to MR Bangur Superspeciality Hospital. The doctors did not even run any tests on my brother. They administered an injection and then referred him to MR Bangur,” said Gourango, standing outside the emergency room of Medical College Kolkata.

“My brother is in a critical condition. He is continuously bleeding from his ears and there is a blood clot in his brain, too. He is not even in a position to speak,” Gourango said while leaving for MR Bangur Hospital.

A family member said in the evening they got Subhajit admitted to SSKM Hospital.

Officials at several government medical colleges have said hundreds of beds have been vacant but patients are not being admitted as there are not enough doctors because of the cease-work. The number of OPD visits and laboratory tests has come down considerably, too.

Health department officials have said the average daily footfall at the 26 government medical colleges used to be about 69,000 before the start of the cease-work. The number has dropped to about 32,000 now.

About 57,000 laboratory tests used to be done daily till the cease-work began. The count has come down to about 28,000.