The state health department has “informally” asked senior doctors at medical colleges to put in extra effort to keep services running in the absence of junior doctors, who have been on a cease-work since a colleague was found raped and murdered at RG Kar hospital.

“Senior doctors have been asked to do night shifts and treat patients in the emergency wards. These duties are usually performed by junior doctors,” a health department official said on Monday.

With the cease-work on, many patients had to return from the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and other medical colleges in the city without getting any treatment on Monday.

In the evening, a group led by local councillor Debika Chakraborty put up posters outside RG Kar hospital, asking what would happen to patients if the cease-work continued.

“We have asked senior doctors to come forward and take additional responsibilities. No formal order has been issued. The senior doctors have been requested to do night shifts and also attend to patients in the emergency wards,” the health department official said.

The emergency departments were initially spared by the protesters, but on Sunday, those, too, were brought within the ambit of the cease-work.

A senior doctor at RG Kar hospital said they were doing night shifts now. “Earlier, too, when junior doctors went on a cease-work, we had to do night shifts,” he said.

A senior doctor at another medical college said the measure was inadequate.

“In government medical colleges, 75 to 80 per cent healthcare service providers are junior doctors. So, it is not possible for the seniors to fill the gap,” he said.

Apart from attending to patients in the emergency wards, junior doctors write case histories of patients after they are admitted and brief senior doctors about the conditions. Senior doctors advise treatment based on the records prepared by juniors, said officials.

Many patients and their family members faced harassment on Monday.

Promita Debi had to return from the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital without getting her seven-year-old daughter, who had passed out after a fall at school, treated.

“We went to the emergency ward but the security personnel told us there were no doctors. We have to take her to some other hospital,” said a family member.

There were similar scenes at most other medical colleges.

Suresh Saha brought his wife to the outpatient department of Medical College Kolkata. Senior doctors examined her and said fluids had to be removed from her abdomen.

“She remained outside the emergency ward between 11.30am and 5pm but there was no doctor to treat her. We are now going back home. What else can we do?” a dejected Suresh said while boarding an app cab.

“Many patients are coming to us saying they are not getting treatment,” said Debika Chakraborty, Trinamool Congress councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s ward No. 3. “The rape and murder of the woman is a ghastly crime and we, too, want the offenders to be punished. But services should not be disrupted,” she told ABP Ananda.

The protesting doctors have said they would continue the cease-work until their demands, including a judicial inquiry into the rape and murder and a transparent probe by the police, are met.