October 14, 2022
Today, about 1000 people including the entire staff of Shaheed Hospital, CMM (Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha), CMSS (Chhattisgarh Mines Shramik Sangh) and local residents took to streets of Dalli Rajhara for a peaceful march, protesting the unfair suspension of registration of Dr Saibal Jana and Dr Dipankar Sen Gupta by CGMC (Chhattisgarh Medical Council).
Dr Saibal Jana, the senior most physician and the medical director of Shaheed Hospital has been suspended from clinical duties for 3 months by the CGMC stating that ‘He performed a surgery without having a specialisation in surgery’. Dr Dipankar Sen Gupta, the anaesthetist has also been suspended citing a controversial remark on his period of registration in the state medical council.
This order is the result of a case filed by relatives of a patient who died due to complications during a surgical procedure in 2019. For the record, the procedure was – incision and drainage of an ischio-rectal abscess. The relatives filed a complaint to the district authorities asking for an inquiry. Subsequently, a committee was set up which after thorough investigation, did not find anything against Dr Jana and Dr Sen Gupta. However, the DM referred the case to a medical ethics committee which too did not find any medical negligence, although it questioned Dr Jana for performing a surgery without a PG degree in surgery and Dr Sen Gupta for the validation of his registration. In July 2022, both were let off with no punitive action.
Unhappy with this, the relatives of the patient, who happen to be one of the richest families of Dalli Rajhara with a strong allegiance to the ruling Congress party, moved the political gears of the state and pressurised the ethical committee to take punitive action against the doctors which has resulted into this unfair suspension.
Shaheed Hospital has been a symbol of struggle for health rights by the labourers for 40 years and is the only health care facility run solely by labourers. Carrying its spirit from the labour movements of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the hospital has stood true to its commitment of providing affordable health care to the marginalised community including labourers and tribals. Since its inception, CMSS and the hospital have faced strong opposition by the capitalist forces which have worked from both outside and inside the government. This suspension is just an addition to the long history of such attacks.
One of the prominent questions raised in the context of this incident is a relatively old one : ‘What an MBBS doctor can and can not do?’ Especially in a resource limited setting where people do not have access to essential health services. The growing dominance of specialist culture often forms a basis for diminishing the rights of rural physicians and many a times even among specialties wherever the line between treatment and referral is blurred. Hospitals like Shaheed often require doctors and other health workers to go beyond their capacity and poorly defined limitations for providing health care to the marginalised population groups. The work often falls in the grey zone of rights and responsibilities. Shaheed hospital stands as one of the very few examples of health facilities where apart from specialists, MBBS doctors are encouraged to work exploring various potentials of their education. Actions like this suspension of registration of our doctors aim at fencing the medical practice around expensive health setups and discourage primary and secondary care health workers.
Shaheed Hospital, CMSS and CMM urge various health action groups, forums, activists and friends of our struggle across the country to come out in solidarity through public statements, social media campaigns and if possible, physical presence. All kinds of expertise and advices are welcome.
