RG Kar Hospital death: Family alleges medical negligence in Kolkata
Synopsis
Pritam Roy, a young man from Howrah, died at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata hours after being admitted with road accident injuries — and his family is alleging negligence. The incident is the latest in a string of serious failures at the same hospital where a doctor was raped and murdered in 2024, raising urgent questions about whether any of the promised reforms were ever implemented.
Key Takeaways
Pritam Roy of Rajchandrapur, Howrah died at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital at approximately 10:30 pm on 16 August .
He was admitted at 5:30 pm with serious road accident injuries, including broken leg bones and a fractured waist bone, and died of haemorrhagic shock.
Family member Shouvik Sarkar has directly accused hospital authorities of negligence; the hospital says the complaint is under investigation.
In March 2025 , Arup Banerjee of Dum Dum died after getting stuck in a lift at the same hospital's Trauma Care building.
On 9 August 2024 , a female doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar, triggering nationwide protests and assurances of infrastructure reform that critics say have not materialised.
A youth identified as Pritam Roy, a resident of Rajchandrapur in Howrah district, died at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on the night of Saturday, 16 August, with his family alleging medical negligence in his treatment. The incident has reignited concerns about patient safety and hospital management at one of West Bengal's most scrutinised public health institutions.
What Happened
Pritam Roy was brought to the hospital's trauma care centre at around 5:30 pm on Saturday after sustaining serious injuries in a road accident. According to hospital sources, he had broken both bones of his legs and the left bone of his waist. He subsequently went into haemorrhagic shock due to excessive bleeding and was declared dead at approximately 10:30 pm the same evening.
Family's Allegations
Family member Shouvik Sarkar directly accused the RG Kar Hospital authorities of negligence in the treatment provided to Pritam. The family posted appeals from the hospital premises on social media, urging West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and state Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee to investigate the incident and overhaul the delivery of health services in state-run hospitals.
Hospital's Response
Hospital Superintendent Saptarshi Chatterjee confirmed that the complaint is being investigated. No further official statement has been issued by the hospital or state health authorities as of Sunday.
A Pattern of Incidents at RG Kar
This is not the first time RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has faced allegations of negligence. In March this year, Arup Banerjee, a resident of Dum Dum, died after getting trapped in a lift inside the RG Kar Trauma Care building — an incident that drew allegations of surveillance lapses against the administration.
More significantly, on 9 August 2024, the rape and murder of a female doctor inside the hospital's emergency department shook the country, triggering widespread protests, night vigils, hunger strikes, and processions demanding justice. At the time, the hospital's security arrangements came under intense scrutiny, and junior doctors held meetings with the administration seeking commitments on infrastructure development and surveillance upgrades. Critics allege that despite those assurances, no meaningful improvements have been made.
Why It Matters
The recurring nature of serious incidents at RG Kar — spanning security failures, infrastructure lapses, and now alleged treatment negligence — raises systemic questions about accountability in West Bengal's public hospital network. With the state government under pressure following the 2024 doctor murder case, the latest death is likely to intensify calls for an independent audit of the hospital's management and patient care protocols. How the administration responds to Shouvik Sarkar's complaint could set a precedent for how similar allegations are handled going forward.
Point of View
A lift death, and a family alleging treatment negligence — yet there is no public evidence that the administration overhaul promised after August 2024 has been implemented. The pattern is not coincidental; it points to a structural accountability deficit in West Bengal's public health system. The state government faces a credibility test: it cannot simultaneously claim to have reformed RG Kar and remain silent each time a new incident surfaces. An independent, time-bound audit of the hospital's trauma care protocols and surveillance infrastructure is overdue.
NationPress
17 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Pritam Roy and how did he die?
Pritam Roy was a young resident of Rajchandrapur in Howrah district, West Bengal. He was brought to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital trauma care centre on 16 August after sustaining serious injuries — including broken leg bones and a fractured waist bone — in a road accident, and died of haemorrhagic shock at around 10:30 pm the same night.
What is the family's allegation against RG Kar Hospital?
Family member Shouvik Sarkar has directly accused the RG Kar Hospital authorities of negligence in treating Pritam Roy. The family also posted on social media from the hospital premises, urging the West Bengal Chief Minister and Health Minister to investigate and reform health service delivery in state hospitals.
What has the hospital said in response?
Hospital Superintendent Saptarshi Chatterjee stated that the complaint is being investigated. No further details or timeline for the inquiry have been made public.
What other serious incidents have occurred at RG Kar Hospital?
In March 2025, Arup Banerjee of Dum Dum died after getting trapped in a lift at the RG Kar Trauma Care building, with allegations of surveillance negligence. Before that, on 9 August 2024, a female doctor was raped and murdered in the hospital's emergency department — an incident that triggered nationwide protests and demands for systemic reform.
Were any reforms implemented at RG Kar after the 2024 doctor murder case?
Following the August 2024 incident, junior doctors held meetings with the administration and received assurances regarding infrastructure development and improved surveillance. However, critics and the deceased's family allege that no meaningful improvements have been made at the hospital.
