The emergency ward of the Balurghat district hospital. Picture by Mithun Roy

Balurghat, March 5: The superintendent of the district hospital here has gone on leave because of alleged pressure from a Trinamul Congress-backed doctors’ association which wanted him to go easy on a gynaecologist accused of negligence.

Officially, however, Buddhadeb Mondal cited personal reasons when he proceeded on indefinite leave on February 29. Mondal was looking into the charges that a newborn had died because of the negligence of Dr Suresh Chandra Mondal on February 26.

The next day, a group of doctors backed by the Trinamul-dominated Progressive Health Doctors’ Association allegedly barged into Mondal’s chamber and verbally abused him and asked him to suppress the investigation.

“The superintendent had taken over about one-and-a-half years ago. He had been trying his best to improve the services. However, a group of Trinamul-backed doctors humiliated him. Buddhadeb Mondal was forced to go on leave. Even an explanation hasn’t been sought from Suresh, against whom a complaint was lodged (by the newborn’s father),” said a senior doctor attached to the hospital.

After facing the wrath of the agitated doctors, Mondal told journalists that he felt humiliated. But when asked about his absence from the hospital, the superintendent said: “I am presently on leave on personal grounds and I cannot say anything more.”

The complaint against Suresh was lodged by Suman Das. On February 26, the on-duty gynaecologist asked Das to get an ultra-sonography done on his expectant wife in a private clinic as the service was not available at the hospital because it was a Sunday. The woman gave birth to a baby boy in a private ultra-sonography clinic and it was pronounced dead when brought to the hospital.

“We were standing in queue at the private clinic when my wife gave birth to a boy. I rushed them to the hospital where the baby was declared dead,” said Das.

Das lodged an FIR with Balurghat police, alleging that Suresh had denied his wife admission and failed to arrange for an emergency ultrasonography, leading to the death of the child.

The superintendent, who was tasked by the district health authorities to carry out an investigation, had “assured” Das that he would impartially look into the matter.

Hospital sources said there was a provision to open the ultrasonography on Sundays in case of an emergency. “If a doctor feels that some investigation needs to be done on an emergency basis the USG clinic can be opened by the hospital authorities,” said a source.

The Trinamul-dominated association said it had noting to do with the superintendent’s leave. “We did not put any pressure on the superintendent. We had gone to meet him regarding some personal problems, that is all,” said Gyanprakash Banerjee, the district president of the body.

In Calcutta, the spokesperson for the state health department, Asit Biswas, said: “An investigation has begun into the charges against the gynaecologist. The probe is being carried out by the hospital authorities and it does not matter who is in the superintendent’s chair.”

The general secretary of the Trinamul district committee, Prabir Roy, said if the superintendent had been forced to go on leave it was “unfortunate”. “We will look into the matter. We do not support such arrogance by doctors. The present hospital superintendent was carrying out his responsibilities in a proper manner.”