Kolkata rape-murder: TMC alleges accident victim died after being denied treatment amid doctors' impasse

A 63-year-old senior resident of Hooghly, Sadananda Pal had met with an accident and died on August 29, 11 days after he was allegedly denied treatment at multiple government hospitals.

The Trinamool Congress has alleged that an accident victim had allegedly passed away after being denied treatment due to the agitation by junior doctors in various government run medical college and hospitals.

The Times of India reported that a 63-year-old senior resident of Hooghly, Sadananda Pal met with an accident and was denied treatment at multiple government hospitals due to the ongoing government hospital doctors' stir.

He reportedly died while undergoing a neuro-surgery in a private hospital on August 29, around 11 days after the accident.

"We could not admit him to the hospital in Chinsurah. We took him to Kalyani AIIMS where no doctor was available. Around 3:15am, we brought him to Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, but we were told he could not be attended to as the doctors were on protest," the victim's son told TOI.

The report further noted that the patient count had dipped at the beginning of the agitation, but is near normal at present. To manage the patient influx, senior doctors have been putting in extra hours to ensure services can be provided to all patients.

Many of the faculty members have now been on duty for two days at a stretch and most have them have not taken a leave since August 9.

Defying Supreme Court's directive to join duties by 5 pm on September 10, protesting junior doctors in West Bengal continued with their cease work for the 33rd day on Wednesday to press their demand for justice for a medic who was raped and murdered at the R G Kar hospital in Kolkata last month.

The body of the postgraduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was recovered on August 9. A civic volunteer Sanjay Roy was arrested the next day in connection with the crime. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a probe into the alleged rape and murder of the woman medic following a Calcutta High Court order.

(With PTI Inputs)