A 15-year-old cancer patient bleeding from the rectum and an 80-year-old woman who suffered a stroke were among many denied treatment as the cease-work by junior doctors of government medical college hospitals continued.

Health department officials expressed their helplessness and said senior doctors on duty were too few to make up for the shortage.

Aryan Sheikh, 15, a resident of Amtala in North 24-Parganas, has cancer and underwent 15 rounds of chemotherapy at SSKM Hospital.

“Initially, all his treatment was being done at SSKM but on August 24 they referred my son to Beleghata Infectious Diseases Hospital. He was admitted there for five days,” said Surabuddin Sheikh, Aryan’s father. On Thursday, the doctors again referred Aryan to SSKM as he was continuously bleeding from the rectum.

“They prescribed some medicines and referred my son to SSKM, but now they are not ready to admit him. We were told by the authorities there are no doctors available today so his treatment would not be possible,” Surabuddin said. Aryan was taken home.

Rakhi Paikh, 29, a resident of Hasnabad in North 24-Parganas, suffering from an infection in the leg, was sent back from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the epicentre of the protests, after primary treatment on Thursday.

“My sister is suffering from a severe infection in her left leg. This morning, we tried to admit her but failed,” said her sister, Rimpa Houli.

Paikh was taken to Medical College Kolkata and NRS Medical College and Hospital, where they were denied admission, said Houli.

“Then we came to RG Kar. We had to wait for two hours, but later in the afternoon the doctors discharged her after primary treatment and advised us to come again after 14 days,” said Houli.

Gouri Rana, 80, who has suffered a stroke, waited for several hours on a stretcher in front of the Emergency ward of Medical College Kolkata. She, too, could not get admitted on Thursday afternoon.

“My mother suffered a stroke today morning. We were waiting in front of the Emergency ward from 11.30am to admit her, but after her CT scan they told us doctors were not available because of the ongoing cease-work,” said Rana’s daughter Sima Saha.

“The hospital authorities referred us to MR Bangur Superspeciality Hospital but they were not ready to write a formal referral,” she said.

Lung cancer patient Khudiram Patra from the Sunderbans was brought to Medical College Kolkata but was denied admission.

“My father-in-law is a lung cancer patient and his condition is worsening day by day. We came to admit him so that he could get proper treatment but they told us enough doctors are not available for his treatment,” said Vikash Bera, Patra’s son-in-law.

“We have to return home as we heard the situation is the same in all the hospitals,” he said.

A doctor at SSKM Hospital’s School of Liver Diseases said they decided on Thursday not to turn away patients with prior appointments anymore.

“We are feeling sorry for the patients. We decided today that all patients with appointments for procedures like endoscopy, colonoscopy and ultrasound will not be turned away anymore,” said the doctor.