In a major development following the rape and subsequent murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, significant administrative changes were made on Wednesday. The Principal of RG Kar Hospital, Suharita Paul, has been removed from her position. Additionally, the Vice Principal of the Medical College, MSVP Bulbul Mukhopadhyay and the head of the chest medicine department Arunabh Dutta Chowdhury were also removed from their posts. This action was taken by Bengal's Health Secretary, Narayan Swaroop Nigam as per the demand by protesting students of the college.
The latest development comes as protestors from across walks of life, who joined in solidarity with the ongoing junior doctors’ agitation against the rape and murder of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital medic, on Wednesday took the streets of Kolkata and beyond by storm, even as public healthcare in West Bengal continued to remain sorely affected. Although no fresh arrests were reported in the case, the CBI continued with its questioning of top officials of the RG Kar Hospital. A former administrator of the hospital, meanwhile, moved the state’s top judiciary seeking an ED probe into the former hospital principal’s alleged financial irregularities.
“Our newly-appointed principal Dr Surhita Pal has gone missing. She is supposed to be our guardian but she has not turned up at the campus since the night the hospital was vandalised. We have heard that she is operating out of Shwasthya Bhavan. So we are headed there to find her out,” a junior doctor said earlier today (August 21), as per PTI.
Meeting on RG Kar Medical College security
In response to the recent tragic incident, a crucial meeting was held to address the security concerns at RG Kar Medical College. The meeting included Shikhar Sahay, the nodal officer appointed by the central government for security, along with senior officials from the CISF. They met with West Bengal's Health Secretary, NS Nigam, and the Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Discussions focused on the deployment of CISF personnel, security measures, and coordination with Kolkata police officials.
When did Suhrita Paul become Principal?
Following the outrage over the barbaric incident in Kolkata, protests against the then Principal of RG Kar Hospital, Sandeep Ghosh, had intensified. In response to the growing discontent, Sandeep Ghosh resigned from his position, and Suhrita Paul was appointed as the new Principal. However, days later Paul has also now been removed from her position as well, following further protests from students.
Kolkata doctor rape-murder case
It is pertinent here that a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at the hospital on August 9. Later, the semi-naked body of the 32-year-old woman was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in Kolkata. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day. Following this, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe into the case from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
(Input: Onkar Sarkar)
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