Junior doctors suspend work in Kolkata hospital

KOLKATA - Junior doctors of the city’s Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital Saturday suspended work after some of them were assaulted by the relatives of an accident victim who died during treatment.

“We have decided to go for suspension of work. Whenever a patient dies, the relatives of the patient come and beat us up. This is not done… we are also human beings,” said a junior doctor of the hospital.

“Whenever a patient comes to the hospital we do our level best to treat him or her,” the junior doctor said.

The patient, admitted late Friday night with injuries received in an accident, died early Saturday. The relatives of the patient thrashed junior doctors and group D staff of the hospital alleging negligence in treatment as the cause behind the death.

“The junior doctors have decided to suspend work for an indefinite period. We are trying to convince them not to go on a strike,” said a hospital source.

It is feared if the suspension of work continues the hospital would face problems in treating patients.

Incidents of doctors being beaten up by the kin of patients alleging negligence in treatment have taken place in the hospital earlier as well.

“Enough is enough… nobody has the right to beat us up. We want security of the junior doctors to be ensured… otherwise we won’t work. We do everything to save the patients, treat them well and this is what we get in return,” said another junior doctor.