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 cease-work by junior doctors.

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.

State health department data show the number of major surgeries at the five government medical colleges in Calcutta in August went down to 5,417 from 13,031 in July.

Cath Lab procedures, for treatment of cardiac ailments has gone down to 808 as against nearly 1,700 in July.

The number of patients treated in OPDs in these medical colleges has become almost half, from 10.38 lakh in July to 5.86 lakh in August, according to the state’s figures.

The five medical colleges are Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, RG Kar, SSKM, NRS Medical College and Hospital and Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.

These medical colleges have around 11,000 sanctioned beds. The health department data shows the occupancy rate dipped significantly after the agitation by junior doctors started.

At RG Kar, the heart of the protest till it shifted to the Swasthya Bhavan in Salt Lake last Tuesday, the bed occupancy is the lowest. It has gone down from around 83 per cent in July to 39 per cent in August, the health department
said.

At SSKM, the state’s premium referral government healthcare institute in Bengal, the occupancy rate has gone down from almost 80 per cent in July, to 62 per cent in August.

“The cease-work has severely impacted the services at medical colleges. Although peripheral healthcare institutes like sub-divisional and district hospitals are functioning normally, most patients come to the medical colleges for treatment,” said a senior official of the state health department.

"Junior doctors form 85 per cent of the workforce in these medical colleges. Senior doctors are working overtime but that is not adequate to handle the pressure," he said

Just these five medical colleges have 5,359 junior doctors and that number includes interns, house staff, postgraduate trainees, post-doctoral trainees and senior residents

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said 29 people died allegedly after not getting treatment because of the cease-work. She announced on Friday that the state government would pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each of these patients

"It is sad and unfortunate that we have lost 29 precious lives due to disruption in health services because of long-drawn cease work by junior doctors," Mamata wrote on X

"In order to extend a helping hand to the bereaved families, state government announces a token financial relief of Rs 2 lakh to family members of each deceased person," she said

Health officials said the absence of junior doctors had a serious impact

"We are doing OPDs from 9am to 4pm and then doing rounds in the indoor wards

But this is not enough because by sheer number we are too few," said a medical college professor. "The number of procedures has dipped," he said

At the gastroenterology and hepatology department of a government medical college in Calcutta, there are 35 junior doctors and nine senior faculty members. "This shows how the medical colleges are dependant on junior doctors," said one faculty member

A health department official alleged that some of the protesting junior doctors were working at private hospitals

"But they are not working in the government set-ups," said the official

The junior doctors refuted the claim. "Why have they created such a system which is completely dependant on junior doctors?" asked one junior doctor.