Patients from far and near, who are visiting government medical colleges for treatment, continued to suffer because of the cease-work by the junior doctors.

Many were denied admission on Tuesday apparently because of a lack of beds.

At SSKM Hospital, a woman from Murshidabad was waiting with her 15-year-old son, suffering from a “rheumatic disease” that had led to abnormal swelling of his limbs.

A stamp on the outpatient department (OPD) card of the boy read: “Regret no bed
vacant”.

“His condition is worsening day by day, the doctors here told us that he needs admission but they wrote in a referral that we should take him to any other state hospital to admit him. The hospital authorities told us that no beds were vacant to admit him,” said the boy’s mother, Kairam Bibi, who travelled for over five hours to reach the premier government hospital. Her husband is a daily wage earner.

Metro reported on Monday that bed occupancy, number of surgeries and footfall in the outpatient departments have gone down significantly at all government medical college hospitals in Calcutta because of the ongoing cease-work by junior doctors.

According to the state health department, at SSKM Hospital, in July this year, around 80 per cent beds were occupied. In August, after the cease-work started, the occupancy dropped to around 62 per cent because of the protests.

The protest started over the rape and murder of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

The relatives of another patient, who got a bed at another government hospital after being refused admission at SSKM Hospital, told this newspaper: “My mother was admitted to the emergency ward but a doctor warned us of a staff crunch because of the ongoing cease-work by junior doctors.”

Kashmira Bibi, 50, was lying on a stretcher near the emergency ward of SSKM Hospital.

No bed was available, Kashmira’s kin were told. The Metiabruz resident was refused admission even after doctors at the neurology department’s OPD suggesting “immediate admission”.

Kashmira’s OPD card had the same stamp that read: “Regret no bed vacant”.

“My mother is continuously vomiting blood. We took her to the emergency ward. She was referred to the neurology OPD, where doctors said she needed immediate admission. But after visiting the emergency ward the second time, we were told that no beds were available,” said her daughter, Rubi Bibi.

Kashmira was referred to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital and NRS Hospital.

The family took her to the former, where she got a bed.

“A senior doctor (at CNMC) told us that they did not have enough doctors because of the ongoing cease-work. But my mother cannot be treated at home and we do not have any other option than to admit her,” said Sheikh Lal Babu, Kashmira’s son.