Inquiry on; patient relatives put up road block

Kolkata, Jul 10 (UNI) Even as West Bengal Health Minister Surya Kanta Mishra today ordered a probe into the death of a teenaged girl at Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC) last evening, angry relatives today tried to force their way into the hospital premises and set up a road block.

Officer-in-charge Beniapukur Anil Jena said, "The relatives protested today as the body was sent for post mortem to N R S Medical College without informing them. They have also withdrawn the complaint made against the doctors last night." The relatives and locals from the area today tried to force their way into the hospital and damaged hospital property and an ambulance.

They also put up a road blockade on the busy CIT road. A huge posse of policemen was present at the spot and the situation was brought under control.

Meanwhile, Dr Mishra today said a two prong inquiry have been orderded into the event. "There will be a departmental inquiry and if an negligence was found on part of the doctors they will be punished. Another is the police inquiry into the complains made in the police station," Dr Mishra.

The relatives of the teenaged girl, who died here at CNMC last evening, alleged that the patient was raped and stangulated inside the operation theatre, where she had been admitted to undergo an appendicitis operation around 1400 hours.

She was a first-year student of Victoria Institution and was to appear for Part--I examination under Calcutta University.

However, the incident took a queer turn when her sister claimed doctors came out ten minutes into the operation to declare that the patient had died.

Hospital Superintendent Mrityunjoy Mukherjee, however, insisted the victim died at 2230 hours following a cardiac arrest. But scratch marks on her body, indicated 'strangulation' injuries, leading to further suspicions of 'rape and murder'.

MLA Javed Khan demanded the body should not be released unless a DNA test or post-mortem was done.

Additional OC Asim Ali said, "A DNA test can be done after government approval. However, a post-mortem can prove if rape had really taken place." UNI BA AA LL AB 1318