Muslims doctors in nine medical colleges in Bengal stands at 6.6%; RTI enquiries reveal

The number of Muslim doctors working in nine medical colleges of West Bengal stands at 6.6%, data compiled through a number of Right to Information ( RTI) queries has revealed. The data assumes significance as the Muslim population in the State as per census in 2011 stands at 27.01%.

Researchers from the Sabar Institute, collected the data on nine medical colleges and found that Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital has 19.56% Muslim doctors and Purulia’s Deben Mahato Hospital and Medical College has lowest 1.82% Muslim doctors.

The researchers found that the nine medical colleges have employed about 1381 doctors, out of which only 91 were Muslims.

Three medical colleges in Kolkata were analysed — and they gave different figures on the number of Muslim doctors engaged in the institutions. National Medical College recorded about 10.66% Muslim doctors, whereas Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College recorded 5.47% doctors from the community and Calcutta Medical College recorded 2.66% doctors from the summit.

The other medical colleges which were analysed by the researchers of Sabar Institute Sagar Dutta Medical College, Jalpaiguri Govt Medical College, Rampurhat Government Medical College and Bankura Sammilani Medical College.

Sabir Ahamed, one of the founders of Sabar Institute which aims at evidence-based research towards the betterment of disadvantaged communities, said that the results are eye opening because the population of Muslims in the State is more than four times the doctors in State run hospitals. Mr. Ahamed said that the percentage of doctors belonging to Scheduled Caste category and Scheduled Tribe were also low compared to the population of the reserved category. The % of doctors belonging to SC category in eight medical colleges stands at 13.51% and doctors from Scheduled Tribes community stands at 3.16% far less than the population of these communities, said Aschin Chakraborty, a researcher at the Sabar Institute.

The proportional representation of Muslims in government jobs has been an important political issue in the State. Since the publication of the Sachar Committee report almost two decades ago the low participation of Muslims in government jobs have raised several questions.

Mr. Ahamed said that that data was based on the RTI response collected in 2024 and collecting the information was an arduous task.

“Out of 23 medical colleges contacted, only about 50% responded to the RTI applications. The remaining institutions rejected the requests, often citing directions from the Department of Health. Not sharing information about religious and caste profile doctors in medical colleges run by taxpayers money is not good for the public and fosters a culture of secrecy,” he said.