Junior Doctors and Nurses Protest Disciplinary Action Against Infant Deaths in Kolkata

In a gruesome incident, two newborn babies have died due to overheating in a warmer apparatus at the Sick Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU) in Kolkata Medical College. This incident has led to the suspension of three junior doctors and a nurse.

Now, the hospital nurses and the junior doctors are protesting against this transfer claiming that improper infrastructure and lack of manpower were the reasons behind the deaths. They have lifted a gherao after the authorities conceded to their demands.

‘Nurses and junior doctors claim the lack of manpower and proper infrastructure as the reason behind infant deaths due to overheating in Kolkata Medical College.’

"We lifted the gherao because the authorities agreed to meet three of our demands. Firstly, we had said that report of the pending inquiry with defence council should be completed within 10 days and it should be an open inquiry. Secondly, the new 66 staff members who had been engaged at the SNCU should not be removed from there and finally, we demanded that no new ward would be opened without recruiting new doctors, nurses and sweepers. They have agreed to it," said Chinmoyee Chakraborty, one of the senior nurses leading the agitation.

They have also asked the authorities to improve the infrastructure of the hospital and appoint new doctors, staffs and nurses. The West Bengal Directorate of health services has already initiated a probe against the three junior doctors and the head of the pediatric clinic.

Source: Medindia