The tragedy at IIT Kharagpur – lack of proper healthcare facilities; a simple proposed solution
March 23rd, 2009
Rohit Kumar, a student at IIT Khargpur died today because of lack of facilities at BC Roy Hospital (should not really be called an hospital). Having spent a night at that hospital after an insect flew inside my ear, I have first hand experience involving BC Roy as well as the lack of proper medical facilities at Kharagpur.
The bigger tragedy is that when the lack of healthcare facilities in BC Roy hospital was pointed out by the students three years ago in the student newspaper, the authorities decided to punish the student paper and shut it down for some time.
I hope this time the authorities will take it seriously and find a long term solution. The current director of IIT Kharagpur has in the past implemented many innovative and bold ideas and here is a bold idea (bold in the context of West Bengal and its unions) that may solve the problem.
IIT needs to close down BC Roy operations and contract its health care operations to a reputed private company such as Apollo. (The company Vedanta is doing something like that.) A student and employee committee can come up with a specification of what medical services should be available on campus and invite bids from reputed health care companies and then pick the best. I don’t think money would be a problem. This is the way to go as health care is not a core competency of IIT Kharagpur and someone very good in that field should be the one taking care of the health care facilities at IIT Kharagpur.
This should be the model used in other universities and institutes that are in places without good health care facilities; or perhaps in all universities and institutes. Note that a lot of the proposed new central universities are being located in small towns without proper health care facilities. This is the time to take this issue into account and plan properly.
Entry Filed under: IIT Bhubaneswar,IITs, IISc, IISERs, NISER, IIMs,Learning from others
3 Writeup
1. R. K. Ghosh | March 24th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Here is an account by IIT Kgp students of happening there that
_________________________________________
Dear all,
This Sunday, the 22nd of March, shall go down as a black day in the
history of IIT, Kharagpur. It was with great sadness and considerable
anger that the residents of the campus received news of the demise of one
of its own; third year Electrical Engineering student, Rohit
Kumar. A resident of the LLR Hall of Residence, Rohit had been
visiting the hospital since Friday, the 20th of March, complaining of
headaches. On Sunday, the headaches became increasingly painful and it was
on his way back from the doctor that he fainted and fell from the
rickshaw, resulting in major injuries. Following this, he was taken to BC
Roy hospital by two students of LLR. The doctor on duty (who was present
at the time when Rohit was taken to the hospital), Dr. N.K. Som,
recommended that he be taken to Apollo Hospital, Kolkata and
shown to a neurosurgeon. He stated that BC Roy did not have facilities to
handle such cases and that it was best to take him to Kolkata as soon as
possible. However, problems (such as filling of petrol) and the extensive
paperwork involved in arranging an ambulance caused a delay of 2 hours
during the course of which nothing much could be
done.
He was finally sent on his way to Kolkata with 2 students for company and
an untrained attendant. En route it was realized that though the oxygen
mask had been placed over his mouth, the tank had still not been turned
on. Soon after this, Rohit started coughing up blood. The students who
accompanied him had the attendant call up Dr. Som and the students
followed his instructions; pumping out blood without any help from the
attendant. At the time, it was decided to take Rohit to the Spandan
Hospital in Midnapore since his condition was deteriorating rapidly. In
spite of asking the BC Roy officials to call ahead and inform Spandan of
the impending arrival, there was no one there to receive them. By the time
a doctor was found, Rohit had passed away and the hospital declared him
dead on arrival. At present, his body lies in the mortuary at Midnapore
medical college.
This isn’t a one time instance.
The dismal state of affairs at BC Roy Technology Hospital has been an
issue of concern for ages now.
Complaints of incorrect diagnosis and lack of medical equipment to attend
to emergencies have been rampant for decades.
The foundation stone for a super-specialty hospital was laid by Dr. A P J
Abdul Kalam, on one of these visits to the campus as the President of
India
However, the project has been put on hold, for reasons unstated.
This year, a fresh move to better interaction between students and
administration has been the initiation of Open House Discussions.
Students strongly voiced their need for better medical attention in case
of emergencies in both of such interactions held till date.
In response to every single instance of a BC Roy screw-up has been a “We
will look into it.”
All false promises.
This unfortunate demise of our friend saw the epitome of it all.
Patience snapped and pursuance adopted a new stance.
All the students gathered outside the Director’s Bungalow, demanding an
explanation for turning a deaf ear to our pleas in the past.
His vague”we’ll look into it” and the insensitive “It’s no big deal”
ignited our temper.
The peaceful protest took a violent shade as students chanted for his
resignation.
It is rather disheartening to note that our revolution for survival has
been portrayed as an ugly act of vandalism
we have been tagged hooligans in most of your leading newspapers, n all
for demanding the Director to take moral responsibility and resign from
his post.
We lost a comrade, we lost a friend.
He died in his teens … n it wasn’t just the injury that killed him.
We are not the vandals and hooligans as portrayed by the media to the
world beyond the campus.
We are students, seeking a better life.
This forward is our attempt to get across to the world, the true story. If
you believe in our cause and purpose, please forward this mail in your
friends list
A more detailed account of the incident :
http://grassonfire.blogspot.com/2009/03/rohit-kumar-will-be-remembered.html
For a Situation Update : http://209.97.214.175/~scholars/wordpress/
Help us get our voice across.
Please spread this message.
Thanking you,
IIT-Kharagpur.
2. Prof.Biswajit Mishra | March 29th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Yes, indeed it’s a sad incident. The BCRT Hospital should have been well prepared for such situations. However, although it’s true that the foundation stone, for a super-specialty hospital, was laid don by Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, the same could not come up because it was not approved by the HRD ministry. Therefore, IIT can not do anything about the same. Another piece of information. Was the vandalism/hooliganism was created by the students? NO. Students’ involvement was less than 1%. Hence, who were the people responsible for such act? I have full faith in Kgpians, who will never do a thing like that. Many students visited Prof. Acaharya’s residence after the incidence and begged apology. An one-man equiry committee has been set up and I believe the truth will come out.
3. vvvssaramarao | April 18th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
sirs and friends i have some suggestions to make. Let not pathos overtake us. History need not repeat itself always. The students, seniors and the student associations can prepare a list of medical aid and facilities available in Kharagpur and give it as a sweet gift to the freshers and the cost, not so prohibitive, can be borne by the existing students. full details should be provided in the book and if possible certain doctors, diagnostic centres, ambulance can be contacted and a panel can be prepared. in a way you are helping them too. No parent shall hesitate to donate a hundred rupees for such a book . Institute can not do such things for reasons understandable.
by the bye I am the parent of one of your students and i am only ready to move further in the matter.