RG Kar protest: One of 7 doctors sitting on hunger strike hospitalised

Kolkata: One of the seven junior doctors who are sitting on a fast-unto-death demonstration here at Esplanade against the ghastly rape and murder of a fellow medic of R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital, was hospitalised around Thursday midnight after his medical conditions deteriorated drastically.

According to his fellow junior doctors who were also on hunger strike along with him, Aniket Mahato’s health started deteriorating on Thursday morning and became critical by the night, after which there was no other option but to get him hospitalised.

Mahato, who is attached to R.G. Kar Hospital as a junior doctor, has been admitted to the same hospital and the doctors examining him have referred him to the intensive care unit there.

The fast-unto-death death agitation was started initially by six junior doctors from different medical colleges and hospitals on Saturday evening. Mahato joined the agitation on Sunday evening.

His fellow medics claimed that despite his deteriorating health, Mahato’s mental strength to continue fasting was still intact.

Acclaimed city-based medical practitioner Subrana Goswami, who had been a prominent face of the doctors’ movement on the issue, told a section of the media that it would be “more unfortunate if the state government does not consider the demand of the junior doctors with empathy even after what has happened with Mahato”.

“Though the medical conditions of the other six junior doctors who are on hunger strike are more or less stable till now, it is not possible to say what will be their state tomorrow. So it is high time that the state government considers their demands with empathy,” Goswami said.