Bengal Doctors Protest RG Kar Case, Salaries of 16 North Bengal Doctors Stopped for Absenteeism

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, February 12, 2025, Kolkata : The state of Bengal has been in turmoil following the RG Kar case, which has sparked widespread protests, particularly among the medical community. Doctors from various parts of Bengal, including many from North Bengal, have gathered in Kolkata to participate in the movement. The protests have been a response to the case involving Tilottama, and numerous doctors from Siliguri and other regions have traveled to the city to demand justice.

In the wake of these protests, the state has taken a controversial step by halting the salaries of 16 doctors from North Bengal. The doctors, allegedly, failed to fulfill their duties at the hospital, with reports claiming that they were absent day after day. Despite receiving notices asking for explanations regarding their absences, the doctors reportedly did not respond to the inquiries. Hospital principal Indrajit Saha has confirmed the situation, acknowledging that the doctors’ failure to attend work has led to this action.

Many doctors in North Bengal participated in a hunger strike demanding justice for Tilottama, with some even traveling to Kolkata from Siliguri to join the movement. These doctors, it is alleged, are angry with the government, and their participation in the protest has become a point of contention. It is suggested that their salaries have been stopped as retaliation for joining the movement without taking proper leave from their hospital duties.

Hospital authorities have, however, defended their stance, claiming that the doctors from North Bengal Medical College had formed two separate teams, each responsible for duty on alternating days. The rest of the time, these doctors allegedly practiced privately in Kolkata. The authorities have lodged complaints specifically against professors and doctors from several departments, including orthopedics, surgery, nephrology, obstetrics, and ophthalmology.

Due to their irregular attendance, 16 senior doctors will not be receiving their salaries for the month of January. This decision has sparked further debate, with critics questioning whether the government's actions are an attempt to suppress activism within the medical community. The situation remains tense, and many are now waiting to see which direction these doctors will take in response to the salary stoppage and the ongoing protests surrounding the RG Kar case.