CHOREBAGAN STAMPEDE EXPOSES HOSPITAL GAPS AS JUNIOR DOCTORS QUESTION MEDICAL COLLEGE’S EMERGENCY READINESS
October 19, 2026
KOLKATA, OCTOBER 19: The Chorebagan Durga Puja stampede has triggered fresh criticism of the state’s public healthcare infrastructure, with junior doctors, interns and medical students at Medical College Kolkata alleging serious deficiencies in emergency treatment facilities at the government-run institution.
At a news conference held at around 1.25 am on Sunday, the medical personnel described the hospital’s condition as a “sorry state of affairs”. They alleged that the institution lacked a dedicated trauma care centre, essential medicines were unavailable in the emergency ward, and the neurosurgery department was inadequately equipped to handle critical cases.
According to a junior doctor, around seven to eight injured people from the Chorebagan tragedy were brought to the hospital, where initial treatment began. The medical personnel said instructions were subsequently conveyed through the hospital administration and departmental heads, following communication from Swasthya Bhavan, offering the patients’ families the option of transferring their relatives to a major private hospital, with the government undertaking to cover treatment expenses.
The junior doctors questioned why patients arriving at a leading tertiary-care government hospital had to be offered treatment at a private facility. They argued that the transfer raised serious concerns about the institution’s capacity to provide advanced emergency care, particularly when critically injured patients required immediate medical attention.
An intern who was present in the emergency ward alleged that essential trauma-care resources, including eFAST ultrasound facilities and tranexamic acid, used to prevent or treat excessive bleeding, were unavailable during the treatment of the injured. Other speakers claimed that basic medical supplies, including specialised blood-collection tubes and syringes, were also in short supply.
The doctors further alleged that the deficiencies persisted despite earlier protests over shortcomings in the state’s healthcare system during the Abhaya movement. They questioned whether promised improvements had materialised following the change of government.
However, a Medical College Kolkata official disputed parts of the criticism. The official said the injured patients had been offered the choice of treatment at the government hospital or transfer to a private facility, rather than being formally referred there. The official also denied that medicine shortages were a continuing problem, explaining that stocks sometimes ran out before being replenished. Plans to establish a trauma care unit were also mentioned.
The controversy has brought emergency preparedness, the availability of essential medicines and the capacity of government hospitals to treat mass-casualty victims into sharp focus. The allegations made by the junior doctors and the hospital administration’s response underline the need for a clear assessment of the facilities available at the institution.
The Chorebagan tragedy has therefore raised questions extending beyond crowd management at the Puja venue. For the injured and their families, the availability of timely, adequately equipped emergency care is crucial. Whether the reported deficiencies reflect temporary shortages or deeper institutional problems remains a matter requiring careful examination.
