Chaos at Calcutta Medical College over Students Union Election, Faculties Gheraoed for more than 30 hours
Kolkata: Calcutta Medical College and Hospital recently witnessed major chaos as the Junior doctors staged a demonstration against the state health department's decision to postpone students' union elections.
Not only the service got affected, but the faculty members including the Principal of the institute also had to remain confined inside their chambers for around 30 hours.
Although the services became normalized on Wednesday, the patients services are likely to get affected once again since the students decided to initiated hunger strike from 10 am on Thursday.
The students took such a decision because the State Health Department remained firm on its decision of not holding the union election on an immediate basis.
Services at the medical institution, including the outpatient department, were adversely affected by the unrest, which started on Monday evening, as the doctors held a sit-in outside hospital superintendent Dr Anjan Adhikari's chamber, demanding that elections be conducted immediately, adds PTI.
Adhikari, when contacted on Tuesday, had informed PTI that he had been confined inside his chamber, along with many others, including principal Indranil Biswas, for at least 30 hours. He, however, maintained that he would not seek police help to restore normalcy in the college.
Also Read: West Bengal: Govt issues directives for prevention of overcrowding at Hospitals
"They (agitating students) are like my own children. It's true that I have been held up in my chamber with several others for more than 30 hours, but I will not call the police," said Dr Adhikari.
The principal of the medical college added, "Many people are falling sick. Some held up are above 50 years of age." Sources in the health department said its secretary NS Nigam has been informed about the protest.
While the "gherao" of the principal commenced since Monday afternoon, the students lifted the gherao early on Wednesday and after this the services had become normal.
One of the protesting student of the medical college had mentioned in a Facebook post on December 6, "The siege of medical college is being lifted. With all due respect we informed our "honorable" authority that they can leave the principal room whenever they want and they will not be stopped."
"We have decided through our general body meeting that the college authority, which cannot fulfill its promise of conducting elections on December 22 because of the invisible orders of the 'higher authorities', which cannot take any step against the physical abuse, intimidation and death threats upon the students by a section of teachers, the authority that cannot inform that under whose orders the central lab remained closed for four hours even though it has nothing to do with this movement, such an authoity does not want to solve the problem through any discussions," the Facebook post further added.
"Keeping that in mind we have decided to lift this siege but our movement does not end here. We are giving authority till 2 pm tomorrow i.e. 7/12/22 if they can't stop the pre-scheduled 22nd December polls we will move towards bigger movement i.e. hunger strike. We are looking at the medical college authorities at this moment to issue their notices in a health manner and publish the election schedule. Otherwise, if any student's physical condition deteriorates as a result of this hunger strike, the college authority will remain fully responsible," it further warned the authorities.
Also Read: Kolkata: SSKM Junior doctors attacked, hospital vandalised after patient's death
