A 28-year-old youth died during treatment at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College Hospital, with his mother alleging medical negligence and non-availability of doctors behind the incident. The man, who was admitted to RG Kar Hospital after being run over by a truck, died on Friday.
The deceased, Bikram Bhattachajee, was a resident of Hooghly's Konnagar, around 25 km from Kolkata. Bikram's mother, Kabita Bhattachajee, alleged that doctors were not present in the Emergency ward, leading to a delay in treatment.
"A lot of time was wasted. Within that time, his surgery should have been completed. But there was no doctor available, not even an emergency doctor," she said.
However, officials at RG Kar Hospital have refuted the family's claims. Medical Superintendent cum Vice Principal Dr Saptarshi Chatterjee claimed that Bikram was immediately taken to trauma care when he was brought to RG Kar on Friday morning.
"His two limbs had major injuries. We also found that there was a major injury to his head. He was taken for a CT scan. While the CT scan was being planned, Bikram was gasping to breathe. He passed away and was declared clinically dead," Dr Chatterjee said.
The incident has sparked a major controversy at a time when resident doctors of RG Kar Hospital have been holding relentless protests over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor last month.
The doctors are demanding safety at workplaces and justice for the 31-year-old victim. Last month, the Supreme Court also called on the agitating doctors to resume their duties.
Ex-Trinamool Congress MP and party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh took to social media to claim that the patient did not get treatment for three hours.
Diamond Harbour MP and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the incident was a "consequence" of the ongoing protest by doctors. Banerjee alleged that the youth bled for "three hours without receiving medical attention".
"While the demands of the junior doctors are both fair and valid, I urge them to protest in a way that doesn't disrupt essential medical services," he tweeted.
"Allowing a death due to preventable neglect is tantamount to culpable homicide. If the protest has to continue, it should be done constructively, with empathy and humanity, ensuring no more lives are put at risk through inaction or neglect," the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a sharply worded post.
While Bikram's family has not filed any formal complaint with the police yet, a general diary entry has reportedly been made.
Source: India Today