One of the medics on hunger strike was hospitalised on Thursday night after his health condition deteriorated, a senior doctor said. The medic was identified as Aniket Mahato, one of the seven on fast unto death since Saturday evening.
"Aniket Mahato's condition worsened and his parameters were not good. He was taken to R G Kar hospital and will be admitted to the intensive care unit," senior doctor Subarna Goswami told a news channel. Mahato, along with a few others, has been at the forefront of the agitation seeking justice for the rape and murder victim of R G Kar for the last two months.
Another agitating doctor accompanying Mahato said, "His pulse rate was very low and his other health parameters were also not normal." A team of four specialist doctors was sent by the state health department to the venue of the hunger strike by junior doctors in the Esplanade area to assess the health condition of the seven doctors who have been on hunger strike for the past five days.
"We came here to assess their health situation. It is quite natural that their health parameters wouldn’t be very good after five days of fasting. We are like their parents, and as elders, we have suggested that they should be admitted to a hospital before their condition worsens," said Diptendra Sarkar, a member of the four-member medical team, speaking to reporters.
The junior doctors, agitating over the alleged rape and murder of their colleague at the R G Kar Hospital, continued their fast unto death for the fifth consecutive day on Thursday, amid Durga Puja festivities across West Bengal.