IIT student dies, chief quits after backlash

Kharagpur, March 22: A 21-year-old student of IIT Kharagpur died after he fell off a rickshaw today, prompting charges of medical negligence at the ill-equipped campus hospital and triggering a students’ protest that forced the director of the institute to resign.
Rohit Kumar, a third-year electrical engineering student, was playing basketball outside his Lala Lajpat Rai hostel in the morning.
His death a few hours later stunned the campus, and shock soon snowballed into outrage. A violent protest engulfed the residence of director Damodar Acharya who resigned this evening, and the medical officer of the hospital was suspended. The students also forced the dean, D.K. Tripathy, to promise to resign.
“Rohit suddenly felt unwell and complained of a headache. He took a cycle-rickshaw to BC Roy Technology Hospital, located about 500 meters away. He was examined by a doctor, given painkillers and sent back within 15 minutes of entering the hospital,” said an IIT student.
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The students blamed the director for the death, alleging that even after several complaints to the authorities, the hospital had not been upgraded.
The IIT Kharagpur community — around 7,000 students, 700 faculty members and 1,500 non-teaching staff — are dependent on BC Roy Technology Hospital that has 25 beds and seven doctors. Three months ago, the students had sent a proposal to the director to upgrade the hospital, but they said no action was taken.
“At a meeting held three days ago, it was unanimously agreed that it was merely a health care centre. We cannot handle serious cases and emergencies. We had appea-led to the authorities to upgrade facilities,” said D.D. Karmakar, a member of the hospital management committee.
Around 3.30pm today, students came out of the hostel and around 2,000 marched towards the bungalow of the director. A huge police contingent rushed to campus.
“The authorities even snapped Internet connection to prevent us from getting united,” said a student, standing outside the director’s bungalow.
A part of the director’s bungalow was ransacked and a car smashed by the students between 4pm and 6pm.
As the students kept gathering outside the house, Acharya came out. “I have resigned from my post, taking moral responsibility,” he said. ... ...