Vishal Samanta, 22, had planned to keep his ailing father, Biswajit Samanta, 61, at home before heading to write his third-semester BTech exam at a private engineering college in Dum Dum. Vishal never imagined that he would be returning home with his father’s body.

The Samantas live in Bisharpara Kodalia, New Barrackpore. Vishal took his father to RG Kar hospital early on Monday. Biswajit died after he had to walk to a pay-and-use toilet on the hospital premises. Vishal spoke to Metro about how helpless and angry he felt when he saw his father collapse:

It is unbelievable that something as basic as a washroom for patients is not available at a premier government hospital of the state. If there was a washroom in the emergency, my father could have been alive.

The doctors examined him, administered injections and knew his condition. Yet, when my father walked out of the emergency, no one advised him not to walk. He wanted to go to a washroom. I informed the doctors, and they directed me to a paid toilet nearly 50 metres from the building where my father was resting after initial treatment.

He struggled to walk. On reaching the toilet, he collapsed and fell on me. I screamed in fear. A neighbour (who had also accompanied the family) and I lifted him and carried him back to the emergency.

The doctors examined him and declared him dead. I was horrified. My mother started to cry. I never imagined that we would lose my father after bringing him to a hospital for treatment.

We had reached RG Kar around 2.30am on Monday. My father was gasping for breath, and blood had started coming from his nose and mouth. He had been suffering from severe breathing difficulty at home, which is why we rushed him without delay.

My father had also been battling a cough and cold for about a week.

At the emergency, doctors examined him, administered three injections and put him on oxygen support. They advised that he see a doctor at the OPD later in the morning. Following their instructions, we stayed at the hospital, hoping his condition would stabilise.

Around 4.30am, my father said he needed to use the washroom. He said he felt better and could walk, but he was already very weak and could barely manage to walk steadily.

The washroom was nearly 50 metres from the emergency unit. If there had been one inside, or if we had been directed to use a closer facility, he would not have had to walk such a distance in such a fragile state.

My father was a driver. I work at a private company earning a modest income while pursuing BTech. My mother is inconsolable.

On Monday, I had my last theory exam of the third semester. My father always dreamed of seeing me graduate and become an engineer.