High Court tells state to file affidavit against ‘threat nexus’ in state-run medical colleges & hospitals

Kolkata: Observing it’s a “serious matter”, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the state to file an affidavit against a petition alleging that a “threat nexus”, including sexual assault and abuse, paired with corruption in state-run medical colleges and hospitals have left the junior doctors, medical students in fear for their life and education.

National Medical Commission (NMC) and West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) were directed to give inputs on the matter.

The Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Bivas Pattanayak was moved by two petitioners, including one doctor, requesting a probe by a SIT led by a former HC judge into the “threat nexus syndicate” allegedly operating at state-run medical colleges and hospitals, and direct preservation and maintenance of all records, including electronic record, kept at the medical colleges and hospitals and other medical centres. The petitioners alleged that one “North Bengal lobby’ is instrumental in perpetrating these acts, citing that on September 5, 2024, some of the main “nexus leaders”, including three doctors and one intern, were debarred from entering the campus of North Bengal Medical College & Hospital (NBMCH) while another “nexus leader”, Dr Birupakha Biswas was placed under suspension by the Directorate of Medical Education, Swasthya Bhavan.

On September 6, following a deputation by students and residents, the NBMCH principal submitted a letter to the police outpost concerned.

The petition cited names of several state-run medical colleges and hospitals where such “threat and corruption” allegedly persist. CJ Sivagnanam remarked it’s a “serious matter” and in interviews of students, one junior lady doctor said she was given a knife by her father to ward off potential attackers while another postgraduate trainee doctor said she could not go to duty without carrying a pepper spray. “Sixty per cent of female doctors and three-quarters of them have been victims of verbal abuse, physical attacks and harassment. This is according to a report by the Indian Medical Association,” CJ said.

The court observed that the petition referred to a memorandum issued by the Health Department on June 19, 2019, laying down certain guidelines to be adhered to in police complaints in respect of any incidents reported to have occurred on the premises of medical colleges and hospitals.

The matter is to be next heard in November.