KOLKATA: Many patients and their kin were left in the lurch as doctors stayed off their wards, staging stir on the campuses of different govt hospitals across the city on Saturday against the alleged rape and murder of atrainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Friday.
Prahallad Gayen, a resident of Narendrapur took his sister-in-law-who was suffering from pain in the waist-to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMC) around 2.30pm on Saturday but she was refused admission as the doctors' agitation was underway..
"She was writhing in pain but the agitating doctors turned a deaf ear to my pleas. A nurse administered an injection and I had to take her back to a private clinic in my locality in an ambulance," Gayen rued. Kidderpore resident Salma Begum's mother was referred to the CNMC from another govt hospital as she was having breathing distress. But she had to wait for nearly six hours to get the patient admitted. "I was very worried as my mother was gasping for breath. I waited outside with the patient who was finally admitted to the hospital in the evening," Begum said.
Patient parties were seen sitting with anxious faces on the campus of Medical College Kolkata due to the suspension of work by doctors. Anupam Biswas, a resident of Nabadwip, said, "My wife is admitted to the gynaecology department and her blood sample was to be tested today. I took her to the blood sample collection department but I was told that none was there." Sarjina Bibi from Murshidabad, whose granddaughter was admitted to the Medical College Kolkata said, " My daughter is with the child who is suffering from liver ailment. I am praying that the doctors resume work soon" The relatives of patients admitted to NRS Medical College and Hospital looked worried as the junior doctors also ceased work and staged a stir. Prantik Sarkar, a resident of Dum Dum, whose friend was admitted to the hospital, said, "What has happened at the RG Kar is shameful but I don't think that doctors should stay off work at the cost of the patients' sufferings." Unlike other govt hospitals, the patient parties at the SSKM Hospital did not face much inconvenience.
(With inputs from Suparna Goswami & Debobrata Shome)
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