Kolkata: Unattended bag at RG Kar hospital sparks panic amid doctors' protests

Panic spread at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Thursday when an unattended bag was found on the premises, leading to the deployment of a bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs.

The bag was discovered near the area where junior doctors had been protesting since August 9, though the site was vacant at the time, as demonstrations had shifted to Swasthya Bhavan in Salt Lake, the headquarters of the West Bengal health department. Footage from news agency ANI showed the bomb squad and sniffer dogs inspecting the scene.

Police confirmed that no suspicious items had been found so far.

“The bomb disposal squad is still examining the bag,” a police official stated.

Further updates are awaited. 

Since September 10, protests outside Swasthya Bhavan have drawn thousands of junior doctors from across West Bengal, demanding justice for their deceased colleague and major reforms in the healthcare system.

Key demands from the protesters include the arrest of those responsible for the crime, the resignation of the police commissioner and state health secretary, and disciplinary action against former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh. The protests have severely disrupted healthcare services across the state, as junior doctors have ceased work.

While the West Bengal government has invited the doctors for discussions, they are insisting on the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and that the meeting be broadcast live to ensure transparency.