Durgapur, May 22: A woman was forced to deliver her baby on a staircase of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital last evening as there was no doctor to attend to her.

The seniors were apparently busy with more pressing work and the juniors were waging war on the Centre protesting against quotas in higher education for the socially backward.

By the time the doctors arrived, the child was dead.

Bulti Hazra was brought to the hospital from Raipur on the outskirts of Burdwan town, about 100 km from Calcutta, around 6 pm.

When her husband Babu and other relatives frantically looked for the doctors, the few available allegedly refused help. When they went to the junior doctors on dharna in front of the emergency ward, they looked the other way.

“My wife was in pain. There were very few doctors. We approached every one of them, but they refused to pay heed to us. Then we went to the group on dharna, but no one budged. She collapsed on the stairs that led to the maternity ward and gave birth to the child,” said Babu, a small trader.

When Bulti and the child were removed to the labour room, the doctors declared the child dead.

“My child could have been saved had the doctors and nurses attended to Bulti on time,” said Babu.

After the baby was declared dead around 6.30 pm, Babu’s relatives and some local people hurled abuses at the junior doctors, still agitating in front of the emergency.

“The mob first hurled abuses and then rushed towards the doctors and a scuffle ensued. Suddenly both parties started hurling brickbats at each other and we took no chances and informed the police,” a senior hospital official said.

Two of Babu’s relatives were injured in the melee and had to be admitted to the ophthalmology wing.

The police dispersed the mob and remained posted till late last night to defuse the tension.

While Babu lodged a complaint with the police alleging negligence on the part of the doctors, the hospital authorities complained against the relatives.

“We are not at fault. The patient (Bulti) was brought to the hospital late and the newborn was underweight. We have lodged a complaint with the police against her relatives for assaulting our doctors,” said M. Murshed, the deputy superintendent of the hospital.

The junior doctors at the medical college hospital to- day stepped up their anti-quota protests and launched a hunger strike.