Threat culture: Doc bodies demand answers from WBMC

Kolkata: Three doctor organizations on Tuesday cornered officials at West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) for alleged corrupt practices in the council. After the rape-murder of the 31-year-old PGT at R G Kar Medical College, the larger section of the medical fraternity has been crying foul against the council, alleging it to be the origin of corruption and threat culture.
Joint Platform of Doctors West Bengal, the IMA West Bengal and Protect the Warriors marched to the council’s office in Salt Lake demanding answers to their allegations.
“We have shocking information about rampant irregularities in the council,” said surgery professor Manas Gumta of Joint Platform of Doctors.
According to the doctor bodies, the WBMC registrar, a retired WBCS officer, was on extension for six months officially. While his retirement happened four years ago, he is still allegedly working without any valid extension order. He is signing all papers, including registration certificates of doctors, and drawing salary from the govt treasury.
“The registrar informed us that three council members — Sushanta Roy, Koushik Biswas and Tapas Chakraborty — are withdrawing remuneration of Rs 50,000 per month since March 2024 which is absolutely illegal,” said the doctors.
WBMC president Sudipto Roy is already under the CBI scanner along with other members of the council like Avik De and Sourav Paul. Ex-principal of RG Kar Sandip Ghosh, who was a member of the penal and ethics committee of the council, is already behind the bar while Birupaksha Biswas, another penal and ethics committee member, is also being questioned by the CBI. Many of the council members were seen at R G Kar on Aug 9 when the body of the PGT doctor was found.
“We have submitted a memorandum for the council’s dissolution and demanded election under court’s monitoring,” said a senior doctor.