Lagatar24 Desk
Kolkata: A fourth junior doctor, Pulastha Acharya from NRS Medical College and Hospital, was rushed to the hospital on Sunday night after his health deteriorated amid the ongoing ‘fast-unto-death’ protest, which began on October 5. Acharya complained of severe stomach pain and was taken to the Critical Care Unit (CCU), according to medical officials.
With Acharya’s hospitalisation, the total number of junior doctors who have required medical attention during the protest has risen to four. Earlier, doctors Aniket Mahato from RG Kar Medical and Hospital, Anustup Majumdar from Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, and Alok Verma from North Bengal Medical College and Hospital were also hospitalised due to health complications arising from their prolonged fast.
“Pulastha is in the CCU and his condition has worsened. A medical board has been formed to oversee his treatment,” a senior doctor from NRS Medical College told PTI.
The protest initially saw 11 junior doctors engaging in the fast, demanding justice for the woman medic from RG Kar Hospital who was raped and murdered in August. The protestors are also calling for increased security at hospitals and the immediate removal of State Health Secretary NS Nigam.
Key Demands of the Protesting Doctors
The doctors’ demands include:
- Establishment of a centralised referral system for hospitals and medical colleges.
- Implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system.
- Formation of task forces to ensure necessary facilities, such as CCTV cameras, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
- Increased police protection in hospitals, along with the recruitment of permanent women police personnel.
- Swift filling of vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.
The strike was triggered by the tragic rape and murder of a fellow doctor at RG Kar Medical College on August 9. Though the protest ended after 42 days on September 21, following assurances from the state government, the fast-unto-death was launched later to press for more immediate action on the doctors’ demands.
