Protests in RG Kar hospital after patient dies; family alleges medical negligence
Kolkata, Jan 14 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Serious allegations of medical negligence have surfaced at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata after a woman died during her treatment, prompting her family to protest
The hospital premises witnessed protests and chaos in the night following the death of an elderly woman. The deceased was identified as Jaibun Nisha (65), a resident of Belgachia in North Kolkata. Her family members erupted in protest, alleging that she died after being left unattended for a long time following her admission to the hospital with respiratory problems.
The family said that the elderly woman was brought to the trauma care unit at RG Kar around 8 p.m. Tuesday, and alleged that although only one doctor was present at the time, he refused to examine the patient.
The relatives claimed that despite Jaibun Nisha being in critical condition, no doctor came forward to treat her for a long period of 40 to 45 minutes. Following this, the patient’s family members became furious.
As tensions escalated in the hospital premises, five to six junior doctors arrived at the scene after some time. However, by then, the patient’s condition had deteriorated severely. Despite the doctors’ initial efforts, the elderly woman died. Following this incident, the deceased’s relatives and neighbours staged a strong protest in front of the trauma care unit, raising questions about the hospital’s security and services.
A family member, Shamim Akhtar, told local reporters, “The situation at RG Kar Hospital is very bad. We would advise against bringing anyone to RG Kar if their condition is critical. The doctors are getting police support, but we are not receiving any services. There is utter chaos throughout the entire hospital.”
A large police force and central reserve police personnel stationed at the hospital quickly arrived at the scene to control the situation. After a long effort, the police managed to disperse the protesters. The situation gradually came under control on Wednesday morning. The deceased’s family has demanded an investigation into the allegations of medical negligence.
There has been no official response from the hospital authorities regarding the incident so far.
It may be recalled that on August 9 in 2024, the body of a post-graduate trainee woman doctor was recovered from the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident had sent shockwaves across the country and beyond, resulting in widespread sustained protest movements by doctors, other activists and people. The sole convict, Sanjoy Roy, has already been sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court. Even after a year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been unable to complete its investigation into the “larger conspiracy” behind the crime.
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