Doctors at government medical colleges asked many patients who had turned up at the emergency ward to visit any other hospital without naming one, as cease-work by junior doctors has left services crippled across government medical colleges in the state.

The cease-work, which started on August 9 after a junior doctor was found raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was on its 24th day on Monday.

Officials at several government medical colleges have said hundreds of beds are 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, too.

Hari Ghosh, 41, a patient of oral cancer who underwent chemotherapy at NRS, was denied admission at the medical college on Monday.

“My brother’s initial cancer treatment, including all the cycles of chemotherapy, was done here. But now
they are denying him admission. The hospital authorities did not have an answer
when we asked them why they could not admit my brother,” said Sourabh Ghosh, Hari’s brother.

“In the referral, they did not mention any hospital. They just said take him to any government hospital.”

Khodabaksh Mondal, 74, a resident of Murshidabad who has been suffering from neurological problems, was lying on a stretcher outside the nephrology OPD at NRS on Monday afternoon. He was denied admission at the hospital.

“My grandfather was under treatment at Murshidabad Medical College from Saturday. Doctors there referred him to NRS this morning. But NRS doctors told us to visit the OPD on Wednesday or take him to Medical College Kolkata or SSKM Hospital. They did not write any particular hospital’s name in the referral,” said Khodabaksh’s grandson Ziarull Islam.

“We have decided to take him to any private hospital in the city. We are not sure whether we can get him admitted to any government hospital. Even if he is lucky enough to get a bed at a government hospital, we doubt whether he will get proper treatment,” Ziarull said.

The absence of junior doctors has made it difficult for the faculty members to treat all patients. If two or three critical patients arrive around the same time, the senior doctors are struggling to treat all of them, said a faculty member at a government medical college.

Nawab Ali Molla, 65, a resident of Cossipore, has been waiting for treatment for over five days.

“I took my brother to Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital this morning. He is having breathing problems. But we were told to go to SSKM as doctors are not available,” said Noor Jahan Molla, Nawab’s sister.

Nawab was first taken to RG Kar on Thursday, where doctors did not examine him. “They told us to come back after five days,” said Noor Jahan.

Sarifa Khatun, a resident of Sandeshkhali, in North 24-Parganas, who is in an advanced stage of pregnancy, arrived at Calcutta National Medical College from home on Monday afternoon. She was told to go to any other hospital.

“My wife has started bleeding. The doctors examined her but asked her to come back after two days. As her condition was serious, we requested the doctors to get her admitted. They told us to take her to any other hospital,” said Habib Gazi, Sarifa’s husband.