Third junior doctor rushed to hospital amid ongoing protests in Kolkata

Another junior doctor, Anustup Mukherjee, was hospitalised on Saturday after his health deteriorated while participating in a fast-unto-death protest demanding justice for a woman medic who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College. Mukherjee is now the third medic from the protest to require medical attention, with colleagues reporting that he exhibited severe symptoms, including intense abdominal pain and blood in his stool. Following these alarming signs, a team of doctors intervened, and he was admitted to Medical College, Kolkata, where he is a student.

Earlier in the day, Alok Varma from North Bengal Medical College was hospitalised due to health complications linked to the indefinite fast. Aniket Mahato had been admitted to the ICU of RG Kar Hospital three days prior. The total number of medics on an indefinite fast has now risen to 11, including new participants Parichoy Panda from Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan and Alolika Ghorui from Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital. This escalating situation has raised serious health concerns among the protestors.

The protests commenced on October 5 in the Esplanade area of central Kolkata and were triggered by the tragic rape and murder of a fellow medic on August 9. The junior doctors are demanding justice for their deceased colleague, alongside immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam. Their demands also extend to systemic reforms, including the establishment of a centralized referral system for hospitals and medical colleges, implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the creation of task forces to ensure essential provisions like CCTV, on-call rooms, and adequate washrooms at their workplaces.

The junior doctors previously ceased work for 42 days following the incident. They ended their strike on September 21 after receiving assurances from the state government to address their demands. The Indian Medical Association has voiced support for the protesting doctors, stating that their demands are reasonable and can be addressed by the West Bengal government. Medics from various private hospitals in Kolkata have also shown solidarity with the agitating doctors, further emphasizing the collective call for justice and systemic changes in the healthcare sector.