Renuka Sikdar is attended to by a doctor at NRS Hospital. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Renuka Sikdar spent Sunday night on a Sealdah station platform so that she could have radiotherapy on Monday. The resident of Shantipur arrived in the city a day early for her appointment at NRS Hospital because of the bandh. Since she could not afford to put up at a hotel, she waited at the station through the night.

More waiting was in store for Sikdar at the hospital. There were no technicians to administer radiotherapy.

“After two hours, the doctors arranged for my radiotherapy,” she said.

Shikha Paul of Kanchrapara, who is suffering from breast cancer, hired a car for Rs 1,500 to reach NRS for a radiotherapy session. “I was initially told that there were no technicians, but the radiotherapy was administered later,” said Paul.

The scene was similar at other state-run hospitals — few doctors and fewer technicians and paramedical staff had turned up. At many hospitals, planned surgeries were delayed by hours because of staff shortage.

“The attendance of workers dipped at the hospitals but the turnout of patients was also low. Hence, things could be managed. We did not have to cancel any surgery,” said Jayasree Mitra, the director of medical education.

According to sources in the department, about 30 per cent of the doctors and other workers turned up at hospitals.

At Medical College and Hospital, there was a severe shortage of senior nurses. “We had to make do with about one nurse per ward. On a normal day, there are three nurses in a ward,” said a hospital official.

“I had to hand over the charge to a trainee. She was extremely nervous,” said a senior nurse of the cardiology department. “The authorities did not make arrangements for us to be dropped home.”

The officials said a fleet of six ambulances is used to ferry employees on a bandh day. Three of the vehicles are not running. “There is also a daily quota of fuel for each ambulance. No payment is made for additional fuel used,” said a health department official.

According to him, hospital authorities used to issue circulars making it mandatory for workers living close by to report for work, but that is no longer done.