The state health department on Sunday gave into the demands of the agitating junior doctors and removed R G Kar Medical College and Hospital medical superintendent and vice principal Sanjay Bashistha from his post. He has been subjected to a transfer to Calcutta National Medical College as a professor in the physiology department. The new vice principal and superintendent of the hospital is Bulbul Mukhopadhyay, former dean of student affairs of R G Kar. This is a hospital where where a post-graduate trainee was brutally raped and murdered early on Friday, sparking protests across medical colleges in the city and state.
The resident and junior doctors who were protesting on Friday had also demanded resignations of principal Sandip Ghosh, the chest medicine head and the ACP of Kolkata Police outpost on the hospital campus, setting a 12-hour deadline for their ouster. Following the meeting with the agitators, Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal said ACP Chandan Guha has been removed immediately, and said the other demands were also heeded to. However, the students remained adamant on the ouster of the hospital principal and the chest medicine head.
“Shunting out the MSVP is only an eyewash. The first head that should roll is that of the current principal. We demand his immediate removal and we are going to intensify our agitation until our demands are met,” protesting junior doctor quoted. Numerous doctors’ organizations have been demanding the removal of the principal. The demand was accentuated by the fact that bodies like the Association of Health Service Doctors West Bengal (AHSDWB), West Bengal Doctors’ Forum and the Service Doctors Forum were also putting in pressure. They said they supported the demands of the agitating doctors.
“The MSVP is a scapegoat. Every allegation of irregularities in R G Kar in recent years revolves around the principal. He should be removed with immediate effect,” surgery professor Manas Gumta of AHSDWB quoted.
The resident doctors of IPGMER, who were agitated, have also demanded Ghosh’s ouster.
The R G Kar protesters have also demanded the formation of SIT in order to investigate the crime and to reveal the details of the probe. A judicial inquiry has also been demanded along with appropriate compensation to the family of the deceased doctor.
A protesting junior doctor named Hassan Mushtaq said, “We demanded a written apology and resignation of the principal, MSVP, chest medicine HOD and the on-duty ACP of R G Kar Medical College police outpost within 12 hours. We are happy that the process has begun but we want the resignation of all officials who failed to protect our colleague.”
Even as the doctors’ stir continued to hit R G Kar on Sunday, the medics went on to claim that their agitation has not affected treatment. The hospital’s emergency department however remained shut on Sunday.
