Thursday, September 19, 1pm: The trauma care centre at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital had one ambulance parked outside the building.

Saturday, September 21, 1pm: The same place had at least five ambulances, ferrying patients requiring admission.

September 11: The orthopaedic male ward inside the emergency building of Medical College Kolkata had four patients while all other beds were empty.

September 26: The same ward had patients occupying all 28 beds.

The usual picture in terms of admissions and bed occupancy returned to government medical colleges on Saturday, when junior doctors resumed duties, 42 days after the cease-work was partially withdrawn.

The junior doctors said they were only doing essential duties but compared to what the scene had been at government hospitals during the strike, the partial resumption of work seemed to have a huge impact on patient services.

“Their resumption of duties has improved services, but it must also be noted that the senior doctors have worked very hard and taken care of all patients during these 42 days,” said a senior official of a government medical college.

Relatives of many patients said they were relieved because they could finally discharge their patients from the private hospitals, charging amounts beyond their affordability, to admit them to government medical colleges.

Many were relieved because dates of surgeries, which had become uncertain during the cease-work, were scheduled on Saturday.

The Telegraph spoke to one of them. Bappa Kundu, 48, a resident of Tollygunge was keeping track of when the junior doctors would resume work so he could get his mother treated at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the epicentre of the protest.

Kundu was among many who closely tracked the cease-work.

He had to consult a doctor at RG Kar for his mother Kalpana Kundu, 71, but had not been able to because of the protest-induced disruption.

“My mother developed fluid accumulation in her lungs. She also has a fracture on her lower hip that needs to be operated upon. I took my mother to RG Kar on August 8 when the doctor advised an X-ray and suggested a visit after a week. Although the X-ray was done, I could not bring my mother for further consultation as the cease-work started,” said Kundu.

“Given our earnings, I could not afford to take her to a private facility and therefore was keeping track of when the junior doctors would resume essential services. As they resumed duties, I could finally get my mother examined again and consult a doctor,” said Kundu.

His mother was in a wheelchair outside RG Kar’s trauma centre, which is operating as the emergency following a mob attack on the emergency building on August 14.

The mob attack was unleashed five days after the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, prompting the junior doctors to start their cease-work.

Kundu was advised to bring his mother again on Monday for further consultation.

“I am extremely relieved that I could finally get her examined. I hope her surgery will take place soon,” he said.

Sandhya Sadhukhan, 61, suffering from hernia, had visited RG Kar on August 8.

Sandhya who had Ryles tubes inserted in her mouth and was holding a catheter, came again on Saturday.

“I read that facilities like patient admission got completely disrupted with the start of the cease-work. We lacked the resources to get her examined at a private hospital. I took her to the hospital again following the restoration of normalcy,” said her husband, Manas.

Doctors examined her and suggested a follow-up visit next week.

Joydip Banik from Tarakeshwar in Hooghly came to Medical College Kolkata because his aunt’s angioplasty, which was to be done two weeks ago, was going to take place on Saturday.

“My aunt was admitted to Medical College Kolkata for about two weeks but we couldn’t get any assurance that her angioplasty would be done because of the cease-work. We got a call on Friday night from the hospital telling us that the angioplasty would be done on Saturday. We are extremely relieved,” said Banik, 30.

“We are very happy that my aunt is finally getting proper treatment as she was in pain,” he said.

Relatives of Sulekha Biswas, 65, got her discharged from a private hospital in Ichapore in North 24-Parganas and brought her to Medical College Kolkata on Saturday. The bill at the private hospital was ₹90,000 for a week-long stay.

“My husband works in a factory. We could not afford my mother-in-law’s treatment for the urinary infection in the private hospital. The moment we got the news that normalcy had resumed at the government medical colleges from Saturday, we brought her here,” said her daughter-in-law, Rekha.