A patient at state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital died on Monday after his family alleged he was forced to walk to a toilet despite his critical condition. The incident has raised questions over hospital infrastructure and patient safety.
Biswajit Samanta, a resident of Nimta, was brought to the hospital’s trauma care unit early Monday with breathing difficulties and nose bleeding, his family said. While doctors provided initial treatment and asked them to wait for further admission procedures, Samanta needed to use the toilet.
Relatives said they were directed to a pay-and-use toilet located outside the trauma care facility. “Despite repeated requests, no trolley or wheelchair was provided,” Samanta’s son alleged. “He was taken to the first floor of the pay-and-use toilet complex and suddenly collapsed before reaching it. He was rushed to the emergency department, where doctors declared him dead.”
Biswajit Samanta. (Videograb)
The family claimed that within the trauma care facility, three toilets exist — one for patients and two for staff — but the patient toilet was locked due to renovation, leaving no accessible facility.
Police have registered an unnatural death case, and an investigation is underway.
Saptarshi Chatterjee, Medical Superintendent and Vice Principal of the hospital, said, “At present, there is only one toilet in the emergency area for patients, which is under renovation due to heavy flow of patients. There is no provision for bio-toilets, but we are trying to implement it to overcome the problem. We are trying to improve the arrangements for doctors, staff and patients. If possible, we will make further arrangements.”
Atin Ghosh, Trinamool Congress MLA and member of the hospital’s ‘Rogi Kalyan Samity’ (patient welfare committee), criticised the handling of the patient. “A high-risk patient should not have been allowed to leave the trauma care centre to search for toilet facilities. If public toilets were unavailable due to renovation, the patient should have been allowed to use the toilets reserved for doctors and nurses,” he said.
Ghosh also expressed concern over administrative lapses and said he would approach the hospital principal seeking a report on the incident and steps taken to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The incident comes days after a 40-year-old man died after being struck inside a lift at the same hospital on March 20, in a case for which five people were arrested.