Doctors Attacked in Kolkata: NRS Hospital ENT Ward Paralyzed Following Violence

The medical fraternity in West Bengal is once again grappling with severe workplace violence. Postgraduate Trainees (PGTs) and Junior Doctors at the ENT department of Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata have launched a strict cease-work strike in the emergency ward following a brutal mob assault on duty staff.

The Incident: A Dispute Over Pre-Op Fasting

As reported by The Times of India, the horrifying incident unfolded when the family of a 3-year-old patient, who was scheduled for a routine ENT procedure, became aggressively agitated. The dispute was triggered over standard preoperative NPO (Nil Per Os/fasting) protocols. When the on-duty resident doctors explained that the child could not be fed prior to the surgery to prevent fatal aspiration risks, the family completely disregarded the medical advice and escalated the situation.

According to local police and hospital administration statements cited by the media, the family returned shortly after with a mob of over 15 outsiders. They forcefully bypassed the hospital barricades, hurled severe verbal abuse at the resident doctors, and physically assaulted the security guards who attempted to intervene and protect the medical staff.

Demands for Central Protection

Following the attack, the PGTs immediately initiated an emergency cease-work, halting all non-critical services in the ENT department until their safety is guaranteed. The doctors are demanding the immediate arrest of all perpetrators under non-bailable sections, increased armed security deployment outside sensitive wards, and strict enforcement of the one-attendant rule.

This terrifying incident has reignited furious debates nationwide, with major medical associations renewing their desperate demands for the immediate implementation of a strict Central Healthcare Protection Act to shield doctors from escalating mob violence.