Paribaha, Doctor Who Was Attacked in Kolkata, ‘Recovering Well’

Doctors treating Paribaha said he is showing symptoms due to anxiety, but there are “no additional problems”.

A file image of Dr Paribaha Mukhopadhyay who sustained injuries to his skull in the violence at NRSMCH.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

Dr Paribaha Mukhopadhyay, a junior doctor at the Nil Ratan Sarkar (NRS) Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, is ‘recovering well’, said doctors on Monday, 17 June.

Mukhopadhyay had sustained injuries to his skull after doctors at NRS were attacked on 10 June, allegedly by family members of a patient who died at the hospital.

Paribaha’s skull was dented in the front after a brick hit his head.

A medical bulletin issued by the Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata, where Paribaha is being treated for the head injury, gave updates about his recovery.

The bulletin also stated that while he continues to have some anxiety-related symptoms, “all parameters including the CT scan of the brain show no additional problems.”

The medical bulletin of Dr Paribaha as of 10 am on 17 June.(Photo Courtesy: Institute Of Neurosciences, Kolkata)

News of Paribaha’s Health Circulating on Social Media

Since the incident at NRSMCH on 10 June and Paribaha’s subsequent admission to the hospital, multiple accounts of the nature and extent of his injury have been circulating on social media.

One particular post which has been widely shared claims the injury is to his pre-frontal cortex and will prevent Paribaha from pursuing a surgical career.

The post was written by Souparno Adhikary, a biochemist who used to work at the Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata. It has been shared over 400 times.

The Quint reached out to Souparno, who, in turn, said that he had reached out to “doctors from other institutions who know the subject matter”. He further explained that the pre-frontal cortex is responsible for memory, cognition, mood, intelligence, personality, locomotor movement and speech.

He said that he consulted with neuropsychiatrists who stated that Paribaha will have to be treated for ataxia, short-term memory loss, decision-making problems and epileptic seizures as well.

Clarifying on the issue, Dr RP Sengupta, one of the doctors treating Paribaha said that he will be able swim, cycle and carry out all normal activities in a few months with post-surgical therapy.

“The impediment to any of these activities will now come from his own anxieties, which he will overcome with time. He will need post-surgical care and will be able to resume all activities including his surgical studies in a few months. There are no additional problems with his brain and he’s on a steady path to recovery,” said Dr Sengupta.