The junior doctors at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital (MMCH), in Paschim Medinipur, have demanded for the withdrawal of the suspension orders of the seven postgraduate trainees at the hospital, who were suspended last week by the state government.
In a letter to the Director of Medical Education, the junior doctors at the college have urged the director to “investigate the matter thoroughly.” They have stated that the trainees adhered to National Medical Commission guidelines and were under the supervision of senior faculty.
The junior doctors have also claimed that the suspensions are unwarranted and allege that the Director of Medical Education demonstrated gross negligence by ignoring the trainees’ compliance with established protocols.
Last week, the state government suspended 12 junior doctors including seven PGTs for “negligence” after a woman died and four others fell critically ill after childbirth at the state-run medical college. The families of all the women alleged that expired intravenous (IV) fluid was administered to the women, leading to the worsening of their health condition. The CID had booked the doctors under sections of culpable homicide (105), endangering human life (125 B), and disobeying law (198) of the BNS.
The junior doctors have argued that all affected patients received Ringer Lactate IV fluid from a company previously banned by the Karnataka government due to similar incidents and have contended that the post-mortem report identified septic shock, unrelated to surgical complications, as the cause of death.
“We, the undersigned junior doctors of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, write to you with a profound sense of urgency and outrage regarding the unwarranted suspension of seven postgraduate trainees: Dr. Bhagyashree Kundu, Dr. Moumita Mondal, Dr. Susanta Mandal, Dr. Jagriti Ghosh, Dr. Puja Saha, Dr. Sweta Singh, and Dr. Manish Kumar. These trainees, who have diligently upheld the standards of medical ethics and the guidelines laid down by the National Medical Commission (NMC), now find themselves victims of a baseless and unjustified punitive action,” read a letter written by junior doctors of MMCH.
The aforementioned trainees, on January 8-9, had carried out their duties in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics under the supervision of senior faculty members. During that period, five women patients exhibited suspected anaphylactic reactions and multi-organ failure following cesarean sections.
The junior doctors vehemently deny any wrongdoing and emphasize that the suspensions are an attempt to divert attention from adverse drug reactions and systemic issues within the healthcare system.
“This sets a dangerous precedent, undermining the morale of medical professionals. We demand a thorough investigation and the reversal of the suspensions,” said a junior doctor claiming that the government is targeting them “to break their morale and divert attention from other issues.”
One of the junior doctor’s, on condition of anonymity said, “The way the movement has been organized since the RG Kar incident, the government is taking this decision on doctors to break the morale.”
The junior doctors at MMCH had launched a partial cease-work on Friday morning, demanding withdrawal of the suspension orders. “Junior doctors are scapegoats. It is just to divert people’s attention from the real issue,” said Dr Manas Gumta, a general surgery professor and member of the Joint Platform of Doctors.
“The post-mortem report unequivocally attributes the cause of death to septic shock, with no evidence of surgical complications. It is pertinent to highlight that all affected patients were administered Ringer Lactate IV fluid sourced from Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical, a company banned by the Karnataka government in December 2024 due to analogous incidents. Despite this critical information, the Director of Medical Education, Bengal, has unjustly accused the PGTs of gross negligence, disregarding their adherence to NMC guidelines and the oversight provided by senior faculty. This unwarranted action has left the trainees mentally and professionally devastated, tarnishing their careers and reputations…We respectfully but firmly demand your immediate intervention to probe it thoroughly…,” the letter read.