Kolkata: The vandalised emergency unit at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) is all set to get a new lease of life after 19 months. The hospital’s PWD started the repair work of the original emergency unit that remained shut since Aug 15, 2024. This move comes after two deaths within four days — an emergency patient and father of an emergency patient — at the Trauma Care Building, which houses the cramped emergency unit. While Arup Banerjee (40) died after being smashed by a malfunctioning lift while taking his three-year-old son to the washroom, Biswajit Samanta (61) collapsed in front of the public toilet after he was forced to walk and climb a flight of stairs to access the washroom.These two incidents highlighted the lack of patient facilities, including a toilet, in the present emergency unit. Demands from various quarters came up to repair and reopen the original emergency unit that was attacked by a mob during the Reclaim the Night event. “It is too early to say when we can re-open the old emergency unit. The repair work began today and all efforts are on to complete the repair so that the unit can be opened at the earliest. The required funds have been sanctioned,” said RGMMCH MSVP Saptarshi Chatterjee. The hospital administration, along with PWD officials, inspected the damaged unit, after which debris, including broken items vandalised by the mob, was cleaned. Sources indicated it could take at least a month to complete the entire process.“It is sad that it took two deaths for the health officials to order the repair of this ward. But better late than never, as this unit has bigger space and better facilities,” said an emergency medical officer. Officials said that they will also be assessing the condition of the medical equipment that bore the brunt of the mob attack.
