On Saturday, the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) announced the suspension of three doctors affiliated with the former Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, Sandip Ghosh. The suspended doctors include Avik De, the former Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of the radiodiagnosis department at Burdwan Medical College; Birupaksha Biswas, a former senior resident doctor in the pathology department at the same institution; and Mustafizur Rahaman Mallick, a junior doctor at Midnapore Medical College & Hospital.
All three doctors face allegations of using their connections with Ghosh and ruling party leaders to intimidate and harass junior doctors at their respective hospitals. The West Bengal Health Department had already suspended De and Biswas on September 5, with De also undergoing a departmental investigation. Biswas’ suspension came shortly after his transfer from Burdwan Medical College to Kakdwip Sub-divisional Hospital.
Also Read: WB Medical Council Issues Show Cause Notice To Sandip Ghosh
Accusations against De and Biswas have been ongoing, with junior doctors alleging that they fostered a “threat culture” at their workplaces, coercing junior doctors and interns to comply with their demands. Mallick has faced similar accusations at Midnapore Medical College & Hospital, leading to recent protests by junior doctors.
Critics within the medical community argue that the WBMC should have acted sooner, noting that complaints about these doctors’ behavior were not new.
In addition to the suspensions, the WBMC has issued a show-cause notice to Sandip Ghosh, who is currently in CBI custody for alleged involvement in financial irregularities at R.G. Kar Medical College. Ghosh has three days to respond to the notice, failing which his registration may be canceled.
