Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata)

Two months after the gruesome rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata on August 9, public protests and demonstrations continue on the streets of the ‘City of Joy’.

The horrific murder of the young medical intern which exposed the lack of safety, governance, and legal accountability of medical institutions in the state, has shaken the bhadralok (refined middle class) out of its torpor. Unusually, they are taking to the streets with rage, staring down the state’s administration. Moreover with more doctors speaking out against mismanagement in medical colleges, systemic bullying, threats and an environment of fear perpetrated by the ‘North Bengal lobby’, i.e, people with close ties to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, public anger is boiling over.

Meanwhile, responding to the fourth status report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to the Supreme Court on September 30, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud observed that “substantial leads” have emerged about the rape-murder of the resident doctor and alleged financial irregularities at the hospital perpetrated by former principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh, who was arrested by CBI on September 14. The bench acknowledged the possibility of an “inter/intra state or broader nexus of smuggling bio waste material” into Bangladesh. The apex court also pulled up the state government for “tardy progress” in improving safety measures to protect doctors in government hospitals across the state. CBI has been investigating the case since August 13 with the Supreme Court taking suo motu cognizance of the case on August 20.

According to CBI sources, the ‘North Bengal lobby’ has acquired huge influence in the past decade. They reportedly dictate transfer, recruitment, and promotions within the state government’s Department of Health and Family Welfare. They also enjoy extra-constitutional power as exemplified by the controversial Dr. Sandip Ghosh, who following the rape-murder was transferred to head another government hospital. Preliminary CBI investigations indicate that Ghosh was indulging in illegal body trafficking and biomedical waste disposal, with the aid of Dr. Sudipto Roy, TMC MLA and head of West Bengal Medical Council. Moreover a spate of resignations including 18 junior doctors working in government hospitals in North Bengal due to unfavourable workplace conditions, are indicative of deep rot in the state’s 34 medical colleges with an aggregate enrolment of 5,125 students.

As a result, chief minister Mamata Banerjee who usually brooks no dissent and is too thin skinned to tolerate even slightest criticism, has bent to the protesting medicos and accepted much of their five-point charter of September 16.

The demands included transfer of several Kolkata police personnel and state health department top brass.Banerjee also sanctioned Rs.100 crore for infrastructure development in hospitals for doctors and reconstitution of patient welfare committees, creation of a special task force to tackle safety-security measures in hospitals and setting up an effective and responsive grievance redressal machinery across hospitals and medical colleges. After these concessions, the junior doctors of state medical colleges rejoined duty on September 21, following 42 days of ‘cease work’. However, on October 1, the agitating doctors resumed an indefinite ‘total cease work’ alleging inaction on the assurances given by the chief minister.

In their third term in office, the ruling TMC and chief minister Banerjee have lost their sheen. TMC has been charged with a spate of corruption charges including a chit fund scam, malpractice in mid-day meals and ration distribution, and a prolonged multi-crore school and college teacher recruitment scandal.

In most cases, Banerjee has weathered the storm, contending the charges were politically motivated aimed at destabilizing her administration. However, revelations of unprecedented corruption in the state’s medical education may well prove to be the last straw. This is because of the gravity of accusations — ranging from college authorities providing teachers lists of students who should be failed, transfer of teachers to remote places for not complying with such instructions, marks allotted favouring students close to the ruling TMC, corrupt officials rewarded with plum posts and sexual harassment of female students being hushed up with threats of poor grades — have resonated deeply with the public.

As details of the case unfold, junior doctors in Kolkata are resolute about seeking justice, even as tales of colossal corruption under the state government’s watch are spreading like wildfire. Political pundits in Kolkata warn that the RG Kar rape-murder could mark the end of Banerjee’s long stewardship of West Bengal.