Tensions ran high at North District Hospital following the death of a patient, allegedly due to the delay in the arrival of the on-call doctor. The deceased, identified as Shukla Das (60), wife of Atul Das, was a resident of Ward No. 2 in Lalchhara village under Dhupirbond.
According to reports, the incident occurred around 8 PM on Saturday. Shukla Devi was first brought to the hospital on Friday evening around 7 PM with severe abdominal pain. After administering a painkiller injection, the attending doctor sent her home, assuring the family she would recover.
However, as the pain worsened, she was brought back and admitted to the surgery ward at 6 AM on Saturday. She remained under the care of the hospital’s only surgeon, Dr. Shubhendu Bhattacharjee, who examined her once at 11:24 AM.
By evening, the patient’s condition deteriorated significantly. She was unable to urinate and her abdomen became swollen. Concerned family members alerted duty doctor Dr. Sekhar Sarkar, who attended to the patient and provided necessary medications. As her condition continued to decline, Dr. Sarkar called Dr. Bhattacharjee around 7 PM. The surgeon informed him over the phone that he would be delayed by about an hour.
Unfortunately, Shukla Devi passed away at 7:41 PM—before the surgeon could arrive. The incident sparked outrage among the patient’s relatives and others present, leading to a heated situation in the hospital.
