Mamata alleges BJP conspiracy in NRS Hospital incident

Ordering an inquiry into the whole series of events leading to an attack on two junior doctors at the state-run NRS Medical College and Hospital here, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the incident to create communal tension.

"In between all the disruptions, the BJP has brought the Hindu-Muslim issue. I see the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) is also fanning the trouble here. I am shocked to see the friendship between the CPI-M and BJP," Banerjee told reporters here.

She said there would be a comprehensive inquiry into the entire chain of events at the NRS Medical College and Hospital.

Protests erupted at the NRS Hospital on Tuesday morning bringing regular services to a standstill after a junior doctor was allegedly beaten up by the relatives of a 75-year-old patient who died there late on Monday night.

The family members of the deceased patient alleged medical negligence. An intern named Paribaha Mukherjee sustained a serious skull injury in the attack and has been admitted in the intensive care unit of the Institute of Neurosciences in Kolkata's Park Circus area.

The Trinamool supremo alleged that doctors continued their cease-work despite the action taken by the government and the police, and called it a "political conspiracy".

"The BJP is trying to create communal tension (saying) that doctors should not attend Muslim patients, other patients and they will only see BJP patients," she said.

Banerjee gave the example of the Pulwama attack where so many people died but the army officers didn't say they won't provide services. Similarly, police officers, fire brigade workers and doctors cannot disrupt services.

Asked if the BJP is trying to portray that there is anarchy in the state, Banerjee said: "West Bengal is a peaceful state. It is Home Minister Amit Shah who is the party President. He is encouraging his cadres to create confusion and communal tension and do propaganda on Facebook".

"If the junior doctors have a community, the public is a bigger community. Why aren't you thinking what will happen if the public is agitated," she said.

Banerjee warned that if the disturbance continues, strong action will be taken as per the law as disrupting hospital services is a crime.

"If they do not resume work, we will take action after 2 p.m. There is the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act and it is the Supreme Court's order that doctors cannot go on strike," Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister also raised the point that the doctors trained at government hospitals either go to private hospitals or move to other states. She mentioned that the government is considering a domicile policy on medical studies.

"I have already thought about bringing the law of Domicile A, which will enable around 20 per cent of students (from Bengal) to join the course," she added.

--IANS

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