Bengal: 3rd medic on fast rushed to hospital

Another junior doctor, who was observing a fast-unto-death in protest over the rape and murder of a woman medic at RG Kar Medical College was rushed to a hospital on Saturday evening after his health condition deteriorated, an official said.

Anustup Mukherjee, a junior doctor of Medical College, Kolkata, became the third medic of those who have been on the indefinite fast to be taken to hospital.

His condition was stated to be 'serious' by his colleagues at the agitation site in Kolkata, a medic said.

After a team of doctors decided that his condition demanded that he be admitted to hospital for treatment, Mukherjee was taken to hospital, he said.

He was taken for treatment to Medical College, Kolkata, of which he is a student.

Junior doctors at the agitation site said blood was coming out of his stool and that he was complaining of severe stomach ache.

They requested the government to consider their demands, maintaining that the state administration was "responsible" for the illnesses of the fasting doctors.

Earlier in the day, Alok Varma from North Bengal Medical College and Hospital became the second medic of those who have been on an indefinite fast to be hospitalised after Aniket Mahato was admitted to the ICU of Kar Hospital three days back.

The junior doctors commenced their fast-unto-death in the Esplanade area in central Kolkata on October 5.

The protesting doctors have been demanding justice for the deceased woman medic at the Kar Medical College and Hospital and immediate removal of Health Secretary NS Nigam.

Their other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.