Over 200 Adivasis blocked the Malda-Nalagola state highway in Malda for around one-and-a-half hours on Saturday, alleging that a tribal woman had died on Friday at the Malda Medical College & Hospital (MMCH) because of negligence of
the doctors.

The relatives of 26-year-old Chanchala Murmu, the deceased, filed a complaint at Habibpur police station on Friday against a doctor and the MMCH authorities.

“She was suffering from a benign abscess or botch and was admitted to MMCH on February 16. The doctor released her simply after injecting a medicine. He advised some expensive pathological tests too at a private health establishment,” said one of
her relatives.

“We got the tests done by spending ₹6,000.... When we took her to MMCH again, the doctor again released her after an injection,” he added.

Since her abscess was growing larger, they took her to MMCH on February 19.

“Initially, the doctors refused to admit her. Later, she was admitted but no treatment was administered to her. As her condition deteriorated, surgery was conducted on her but she did not survive. She might have survived if the surgery had been conducted before,” the relative said.

Prasenjit Bar, the medical superintendent cum vice-principal of MMCH, said all possible care was arranged for the patient.

“I have received the primary reports which suggest that she succumbed to her
ailments as there was septicemia in her abscess. Even then, we are probing the allegation of negligence,” said Bar.

The road blockade at Aiho was lifted around 1pm after police spoke to the protesters.