Siliguri. During the five days of Durga Puja, 127 patients died at North Bengal Medical College Hospital. According to the hospital superintendent, these deaths occurred from Mahashashti to Vijayadashami. Due to a shortage of doctors, many critical patients were brought to the hospital from nursing homes in critical condition. The number of such patients was higher among the deceased. In the previous year 2025, during the same five days of Durga Puja, 77 patients had died at this hospital. This year, the number of deaths increased by more than 65 percent. Doctors and senior doctors remain on duty at the hospital during Durga Puja. The entire matter is under investigation.
Junior doctors allege that before the Durga Puja holidays, they were told they had to work according to a fixed schedule. Duties could not be changed under any circumstances. This rule was not applicable in the case of senior doctors. During the 5 days of Durga Puja, the number of patients referred from various hospitals and nursing homes in North Bengal was quite high. According to Hospital Superintendent Kaushik Ishor, allegations of patient deaths due to negligence in treatment are not correct. Most of the deceased were referred from various nearby hospitals and nursing homes.
