Bengal hospital doctors back on strike after being attacked by patient’s relatives

The junior doctors and nurses at the Sagore Dutta Hospital in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district started a ‘cease work’ agitation after they were allegedly attacked by the relatives of a patient.
The staffers of the state-run medical college and hospital located in Kamarhati near Kolkata claimed that they were beaten up by the relatives of a patient who died during treatment.
Officials said that the relatives of the patient even had an altercation with the police when they intervened in order to stop the ruckus. Four of the accused have been arrested in connection with the alleged scuffle.
Police said that they were checking the CCTV footage to ascertain if a few other people were also involved in the matter. “Those found involved in the scuffle will be arrested,” they added.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam visited Sagore Dutta Medical College Hospital and met junior doctors and nurses.
“They were concerned about security and that is why we have come here. They have been talked to, and the incident that happened is wrong”, Nigam said after meeting the doctors.
“Police deployment has been further increased. From today, additional CCTV cameras have been installed for surveillance. The views of nurses and junior doctors have been heard”, he added.
The incident came to light a week after junior doctors, protesting against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, resumed essential services in hospitals. They called off the strike after 41 days of protesting.
The medics had agreed to resume work after the West Bengal government issued a new set of directions with regard to the safety and security of the state’s healthcare professionals.
Junior doctors in Bengal and across the country staged protests against a trainee woman doctor’s rape and murder that took place at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
During the nationwide protests, the agitating doctors highlighted the absence of key facilities, such as restrooms, necessary security measures and grievance redressal systems, among others, at hospitals.