Mamata Banerjee suspends 12 doctors for negligence in connection to the death of a woman and infant

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has suspended 12 doctors, including the Medical Superintendent of Midnapore Medical College, for negligence which led to the death of a woman and infant, allegedly due to the use of contaminated IV fluid on the mother during a C-section done by trainee doctors.

While the CID is conducting criminal proceedings against the offenders, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday pulled up the West Bengal government over the use of contaminated saline in state-run hospitals and sought an action taken report on this.

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said the state government's probe committee and CID have identified gross negligence and violation of SOP on the part of senior doctors during the C-section operation undertaken on the mother.


The CM said necessary criminal proceedings will be taken after the CID completes its proceedings and offered Rs 5 lakh compensation and a job to the family.

"Gross negligence has been reported. Negligence is a crime," Banerjee said.

Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya heard the plea for an impartial inquiry into the death of the woman and infant. "We fail to understand why it took more than 10 days to pass orders for withdrawal of existing stock," HC observed.

"One family has lost a woman and another family a child. Those who have done wrong will be punished," Banerjee said. While Mamoni Ruidas died last Friday, her child managed to survive. On Thursday, the second woman, Rekha Shaw, who is still under treatment at Midnapore Medical Hospital, lost her child.