Faced with the backlash over the rape and murder of a doctor at the government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, director Sandip Ghosh resigned from his post and from government service on Monday morning, days after junior doctors demanded his resignation for failing to ensure staff safety, Indian media reported.
Hospital operations were disrupted across the state as junior doctors, interns and postgraduates continued their shutdown for the fourth consecutive day, demanding a judicial enquiry into the doctor’s death.
Ghosh’s decision came a day after the West Bengal government removed medical superintendent – deputy principal Sanjay Vashisth, who was replaced by Bulbul Mukhopadhyay, dean of student affairs, with additional responsibilities of superintendent.
For the past three days, the junior doctors had been performing emergency duties, but as of Monday morning, they ceased all their duties. A protesting junior doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the incident took place, said:
“We want an impartial investigation into the murder of our colleague, either by the CBI or a sitting magistrate. We are dissatisfied with the current police investigation and will continue our protest till justice is served and the state ensures foolproof security for all doctors and healthcare workers.”
The body of a woman aspirant was found in the seminar hall of the hospital on Friday morning and a civilian volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime on Saturday.
The junior doctors have asked the state government to expedite the prosecution of the culprits and suspend Ghosh and Vashisth.
Ghosh, who assumed office in mid-2021, has denied the allegations, saying he could not tolerate false accusations and was already co-operating with the police, including handing over CCTV footage. He said:
“I cannot take this insult anymore. All the allegations raised against me are false and fabricated. A student movement has been incited to remove me. There is a political mind behind this. I had informed police within an hour of the incident. CCTV footage has been handed over to police. I want the agitating students to rejoin duty soon.”
Ghosh personally visited Swasthya Bhavan to hand over his resignation letter.
The students also demanded that the post-mortem report of the victim and CCTV footage of the CCTV cameras installed near the seminar hall where the body was found be made public.
The state government has cancelled the leave of all senior doctors to cope with the influx of patients as Mondays usually see a large number of patients in outpatient departments.
Support for the striking doctors has come from across the country.
The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Associations of India (FORDA) has backed the strike and called for an end to fee-based services across the country, while the West Bengal Doctors Forum has asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to conduct an impartial enquiry and strengthen the security of health workers.
