After RG Kar rape-murder, another Bengal hospital shocker from civic volunteer

As junior doctors protested across the country after the brutal rape-murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College Hospital on Friday (August 9), it came to light that a patient allegedly threatened a female doctor in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district the next day that she would face the same consequences if his treatment was delayed.

Incidentally, the “patient”, who was later arrested, is a civic volunteer, a force that helps the police in West Bengal with various kinds of duties. The man who has been arrested for the rape and murder of the female PGT doctor at RG Kar hospital is also a civic volunteer.

Doctors and nurses of the state-run hospital in Purba Bardhaman demonstrated against the patient’s misbehaviour on Saturday. He allegedly entered the emergency ward of the Bhatar State General Hospital in an inebriated condition and threatened the female doctor that she would face the same consequence that the trainee doctor had experienced at RG Kar hospital.

Doctor did not stop treatment

A Purba Bardhaman district health official said, “The patient allegedly told the attending doctor that if she did not treat him properly, he would ensure that she got the same treatment as the woman doctor of RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata. The doctor, as part of her duty and medical ethics, did not stop the treatment, but she discussed the matter with other staffers. Today, they came in a group to the CMOH office and demanded punishment of the man and security for the health personnel,” the official said.

A senior police official said the accused, identified as Susanta Roy, has been arrested. The district official said Roy is a civic volunteer, a contractual staff working under the local police.

(With agency inputs)