RG Kar Medical College Trauma Unit Faces Severe Infrastructure Crisis
The trauma care building at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which currently houses the emergency unit, is facing a severe and inhumane infrastructure crisis. Despite receiving hundreds of emergency patients daily, the building lacks basic washroom facilities for OPD patients and their relatives. This critical deficiency forces individuals to trek down to a pay-and-use toilet located near the hospital's main entrance, approximately 20 feet away from the building.
Tragic Incident Highlights Systemic Failures
A recent tragic incident has starkly illuminated the dire consequences of this neglect. Deceased Arup Banerjee and his wife were waiting on the first floor for their son Ayush's orthopedic surgery for a fractured arm. When Ayush started crying due to the urgent need to use a washroom, the family began searching for facilities. Unable to access in-patient washrooms, Arup and his wife boarded a lift to descend to the ground floor. Tragically, Arup met his death in the hospital elevator during this desperate search.
History of Emergency Unit Relocation and Vandalism
The emergency unit was previously located on the ground floor of the Emergency building opposite the trauma care structure. However, this facility faced vandalism on the night of August 14, 2024, less than a week after a postgraduate doctor was found raped and murdered on the fourth floor of that building. Since that violent incident, the emergency unit has been shifted to the current trauma care building, which lacks even basic patient amenities.
Medical Staff Express Outrage and Concern
Emergency medicine doctors have expressed profound frustration with the situation. "The previous emergency unit was well-equipped with patient facilities, including toilets. For almost two years, it has been under lock and key. This unit at the trauma care building lacks even a basic facility like a toilet. This is inhuman, and we have been pointing this out to the administration, but nothing has been done," stated an emergency medicine doctor who wished to remain anonymous.
Junior doctors revealed that the hospital narrowly avoided further violence on Friday when many people from Banerjee's neighborhood rushed to the medical college. The presence of CISF and police personnel prevented potential vandalism that could have erupted due to community anger over the tragic death.
Formal Demands for Infrastructure Improvement
The junior doctors and the Resident Doctor Association of RG Kar Medical College submitted a memorandum on Friday demanding immediate action. Their demands include:
- Regular maintenance and audit of hospital lifts
- Proper facilities including toilets in the trauma care building
- Comprehensive infrastructure improvements throughout the medical college
Sourav Roy, a junior doctor at the institution, emphasized the urgency: "This incident, where a father who came for his son's treatment meets death in the hospital elevator, is shocking. During the RG Kar movement, our demands included improving infrastructure. We hope the authorities address these critical issues at the earliest."
The situation at RG Kar Medical College represents a systemic failure in providing basic healthcare infrastructure, with tragic consequences for patients and their families who rely on these essential medical services.
