RG Kar impact: Bengal govt notifies new structure of patients' welfare committees

Kolkata, Oct 1 (IANS) The office of West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on Tuesday issued a notification regarding the new structure of the patients' welfare committees in different medical colleges and hospitals in the state.

The development follows a decision earlier announced by the Chief Minister to dismantle all old patients' welfare committees in all medical colleges and hospitals in the wake of the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor on the premises of the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last month.

The notification issued by the office of the Chief Secretary, a copy of which is available with IANS, mentioned that each patient's welfare committee, henceforth, will be headed by the principal of the medical college & hospital concerned.

The other members of the newly constituted committee will be the medical superintendent and vice-principal (MSVP) concerned, two heads of departments as nominated by the principal, one senior doctor, one junior doctor, one representative from the nursing cadre and one public representative.

The notification was issued on a day when West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum (WBJDF), the umbrella body of the junior doctors protesting against the gruesome rape and murder incident, resumed its cease-work agitation to press the authorities over demands.

Their demands included a protracted judicial process to ensure justice for the rape and murder victim, immediate removal of the state health secretary, and introduction of a centralised referral system and digital bed vacancy monitor.

The other demands include (setting up) task forces based on each college, with elected representation of junior doctors, increased police protection in hospitals, filling up the vacant posts of doctors, nursing staff and health workers and setting up of inquiry committees in every medical college to investigate those involved in 'threat syndicates', and punish them.

The demand also included formation of an inquiry committee at the state level.

The last two demands include immediate elections for student councils in every medical college and immediate inquiry into "rampant corruption and lawlessness" at the West Bengal Medical Council and West Bengal Health Recruitment Board.

--IANS

src/pgh