Kolkata govt hospital: Junior doctors strike enters third day

Kolkata, Nov 12: A patient reportedly died as medical services at a state-run hospital here remained hit for the third consecutive day with junior doctors on strike and local people threatening to gherao them for the restoration of services.

Local people near the National Medical College and Hospital threatened to gherao the 300 junior doctors who went on strike on Thursday night following alleged assault of colleagues after the death of a patient, police said. The locals also alleged that a patient had died at the hospital as medical services had been crippled.

A section of nurses has also joined the stir. The junior doctors stuck to their demand for the personal intervention of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the health portfolio, to address their grievances and arrange for proper security. The hospital authorities were not available for comment.

Director of Medical Education, Sushanta Bandopadhay had yesterday said doctors might be requisitioned from other hospitals due to the ongoing strike. Patients are being taken to other hospitals as medical services remain affected at the Medical College.

PTI