Exclusive: Inside Kolkata’s R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital: Cat poops, lack of washrooms, clean drinking water and patients on the floor

The horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old junior doctor at Kolkata’s R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital has raised serious questions about the conditions under which resident doctors are made to work in Government Hospitals in the city. From 36 hours work shifts to lack of adequate washrooms to lack of a proper places to rest at night, working conditions of resident doctors are appalling.

As a result of this, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has made certain demands which include having airport-like security protocol at hospitals with CCTV and deployment of security personnel, thorough overhaul of the working and living conditions of the resident doctors due to lack of safe spaces to rest and lack of proper washrooms within the hospital.

But what about Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital where a brutal incident of rape and murder has left the entire nation shaken? The picture is not very pleasant inside the British era hospital established in 1886, which is among the premiere Government Hospitals in Kolkata and West Bengal.

Lack of restrooms, clean drinking water and infested by cats

In an exclusive interaction with The CSR Journal, a doctor associated with the hospital who does not wish to be named, told us, “There are lack of proper restrooms and resting areas in most of the departments in this Hospital. Lack of washroom and access to safe drinking water are two major issues in this hospital.”

Revealing the shocking condition of the hospital where patients lie on the floors and cat poop is found almost everywhere, the doctor said, “There are patients sleeping on the floors because the government has a policy that no patient should be refused admission as that is bad PR. So, any patient who comes has to be admitted even if it goes beyond the authorised bed strength. In this hospital, cats and kittens are found everywhere, which make the hospital dirty by pooping here and there. They are found in large numbers in this hospital and we are concerned because they spread diseases and infection. The hospital is infested with cats. If there is a room with 30 beds, you will find at least 10 cats over there.”

Working hours of resident doctors

When quizzed about how many hours resident doctors have to be on duty at R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital, the doctor said, “Resident doctor means you are supposed to stay in the hospital almost all the time, round the clock 24*7 unless you are on leave. Residents man the ward, they man the OPD, they do the duty and at the end they get a degree. They are the heart and soul of the hospital. In India there are no strict laws talking about how many hours a resident doctor is supposed to work. A part of the ongoing protests and struggles is also to regularise these laws and understand how many hours a resident is supposed to work for. Right now it depends on the Head of your Department, on your unit chief etc. We should have codified laws specifying the number of working hours for residents and after how many days does a resident deserves a day off whether once a week or once in every 10 days, all these should be mentioned in that law.”

CISF at R.G. Kar

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday has ordered to deploy Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital amid protests by junior doctors and citizens across Kolkata and several parts of India. “If women are not able to go to work and conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality,” the Supreme Court said on Tuesday while hearing the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case.

Supreme Court on the Kolkata junior doctor rape and murder case

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the Kolkata doctor rape-murder case which has raised serious questions regarding the safety of doctors across India. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is currently hearing the matter.

Saying that it is “deeply concerned” about the absence of safe working conditions for young doctors, the apex court expressed, “Most young doctors putting in 36 hours, we must evolve national protocol to ensure safe work conditions.”

The Supreme Court has sought an explanation from the West Bengal government regarding the incident of vandalism at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on 14th August. Chief Justice of India Chandrachud expressed serious concern at the fact that the mob called the lady doctors by their name and threatened that they would meet the same fate as that of the deceased. The CJI also questioned why the police ran away from the spot.

The apex court also questioned about the college authorities trying to pass off the crime as suicide and R G Kar Hospital’s principal Sandip Ghosh being appointed to another college within a few hours of his resignation. Currently, Ghosh, who has multiple allegations against him, is being grilled by the CBI which is investigating the matter.

Ahana Bhattacharya can be reached at [email protected]