Siliguri, Aug. 17: A minor altercation between junior doctors and a patient’s relatives snowballed into a major clash in North Bengal Medical College and Hospital last night.
Eight people were injured and five police vehicles were damaged in the violence.
The police alleged that the junior doctors and MBBS students vandalised the vehicles and attacked local people.
The incident started around 5.30pm yesterday when relatives of Dipika Debnath, admitted to the labour room, wanted to meet her. But they were prevented by junior doctors, who said only the hospital staff were allowed entry.
Anurup Saha, the assistant secretary of the Junior Doctors’ Council at the NBMCH, said the relatives had then left the labour room.
“Half an hour later, the doctors were stopped outside the labour room and abused verbally by the same people. An altercation ensued and other junior doctors and students gathered at the spot. The hospital superintendent also arrived and tried to resolve the issue. Around 6.30pm, Matigara police reached the hospital to solve the issue. We were talking to the patient’s relatives when the police suddenly lathi charged us without any provocation. Saurav Dixit, a junior doctor, was injured in the lathi charge and admitted to the hospital,” said Saha.
However, the patient’s relatives have a different version.
“The doctors misbehaved with us and pushed us when we tried to enter the labour room. Around 50 to 60 students and junior doctors confronted us when we were returning after lodging a complaint with the superintendent. The police, too, arrived and the issue was resolved then,” said Babul Roy, Dipika’s uncle.
The doctors said they had been attacked again around 9.30pm by local people who had entered the emergency ward with rods and bamboo poles. “One junior doctor and two students were injured in the attack and are undergoing treatment in the hospital,” said Saha.
Babul Roy, however, said he and his nephew had been beaten up by the junior doctors at 9pm.
The police blamed the doctors and students for the violence.
“It was a minor altercation between a patient’s relatives and some junior doctors. The relatives were roughed up by the doctors and we had to rescue them. We did not lathi charge the junior doctors. But they got angry and accused us of favouring the patient’s relatives,” said a police officer.
The police said vandalism at the outpost had taken place around 10pm.
“Around 300 junior doctors and students went to the NBMCH police outpost and overturned three vehicles. They also damaged two other vehicles. We have started a suo motu case against 13 students and junior doctors,” said the police officer.
The medical practitioners allegedly chased the police out of the campus and went to the nearby Thiknikatha village.
“The students and junior doctors came to our houses and alleged that we had hidden the police personnel in our homes. They were carrying sharp weapons and attacked the villagers and we retaliated,” said Raju Sarkar, who stays in Thiknikatha.
Two persons were seriously injured in the attack and have been admitted to a private nursing home.
Since last night, the junior doctors have been abstaining from duty and the entire workload has fallen on the senior doctors. Even the classes were suspended today. “This is not cease-work. But we will not join duty unless the administration assures us of adequate security,” said Saha.
