Patient dies at RG Kar, family alleges hospital mismanagement

Kolkata, March 23 (IANS) Fresh allegations of mismanagement have surfaced at the Trauma Care Unit of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The family of a patient on Monday claimed that he died due to the hospital's mismanagement while seeking medical treatment.

It is alleged that the patient was not even provided with a stretcher to go to the restroom. The middle-aged man, identified as Biswajit Samanta, collapsed while attempting to walk there and passed away shortly thereafter last night.

Family members said that Biswajit had come to RG Kar Hospital for treatment, suffering from respiratory distress. He was also bleeding from his nose. The bleeding was brought under control following preliminary treatment during the night, and he began to feel somewhat better. However, he died while on his way to the restroom. The family alleged that there was no restroom located near the specific area of ??the hospital where the middle-aged man was being treated.

When hospital staff were asked for assistance, they reportedly instructed the family to take him either outside or to the second floor. Furthermore, a stretcher was not provided to transport him to the second floor. His relatives maintained that the man died while attempting to walk -- in his frail condition -- to reach the restroom located on the second floor.

As of now, the hospital authorities have not issued any statement regarding this incident.

Ila Samanta, the wife of the deceased, Biswajit, recounted her ordeal to a section of reporters. "We brought him here last night. He was bleeding from the nose. After receiving some treatment, he appeared to stabilise slightly. Then, he asked to use the restroom. However, no one provided a stretcher. An ailing man was forced to walk to the restroom, leading to this tragic outcome. How could they possibly ask a sick patient to walk?"

The deceased's son, Vishal Samanta, said, "There are no restrooms located nearby. The doctor instructed us to take him outside to use the facilities. Yet, no one offered us a stretcher. We had to take him up to the second floor just to find a restroom. He walked there with great difficulty. Suddenly, he collapsed. The doctor examined him and simply said, 'He is no more!' Had there been a restroom nearby, or had a stretcher been made available, perhaps this tragedy could have been averted."

He further said, "We come to the hospital -- specifically to RG Kar with so much hope. But here, it seems even healthy people would fall ill and die!"

The body of the deceased has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Meanwhile, the Tala Police Station has registered a case of unnatural death in connection with this incident.

The RG Kar Hospital in North Kolkata has been in the news for quite some time.

Last Friday, Arup Banerjee, a resident of Dum Dum, died after getting trapped in an elevator within the trauma care building of the hospital. In that incident, too, the lack of a restroom lay at the heart of the controversy.

Banerjee had visited RG Kar to seek medical treatment for his three-year-old son. The child needed to use the restroom; however, as there was no facility immediately accessible, they were compelled to take the elevator.

It is alleged that, due to a mechanical malfunction, the elevator spiralled out of control. Arup and his family remained trapped in the basement for a prolonged period. Ultimately, Banerjee met his tragic end after becoming wedged in the elevator doors and being crushed. The hospital's mismanagement, coupled with a severe lack of proper maintenance and oversight, has been cited as the cause of this fatality. Barely two days later, fresh allegations of death resulting from administrative negligence have surfaced once again at the very same hospital.

In August 2024, within this very RG Kar Hospital, a woman doctor performing her night duty was raped and murdered. At that time, questions were raised regarding the security arrangements at the hospital.