NEW DELHI: West Bengal Joint Platform of Doctors on Monday wrote a letter to
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee
and demanded an unconditional apology for ‘untrue and incendiary statement on social media’. The letter was in response to Banerjee’s claim that a youth died in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as a consequence of the ongoing doctors’ protests.
Registering its protest, the panel wrote, “We are writing to formally protest and express deep concern regarding the untrue and malicious statement you posted on your X (formerly Twitter) handle on September 6, 2024, at 10:27 pm.”
“This statement is categorically false and misleading.
The young male patient, suffering from polytrauma due to a tragic road accident, was referred to a higher center from Srirampur and was received at RG Kar Medical College promptly at 9:10 AM on the same day, September 6, 2024. The doctors on duty immediately attended to him and continued to provide medical care at several intervals until his unfortunate demise at 12:30 PM, as noted in the provisional death certificate. The bed head tickets as well as the statement of the MSVP of RGKMCH will categorically substantiate our claim and refute your post,” the letter read.
The doctors’ body also refuted Banerjee’s claim that the patient was left unattended in the hospital and said that Banerjee’s assertion lacks any foundation of truth and disregards the efforts made by the
medical professionals
.
“Contrary to your claim, the patient did not “bleed for 3 hours without receiving medical attention.” Your assertion lacks any foundation in truth and disregards the efforts made by the medical professionals who did everything within their power to save the patient’s life. Your public statement is not only factually incorrect but also potentially dangerous. By spreading such misinformation, you are risking inciting violence and hostility against the medical community, which is already under immense pressure and shock after the heinous crime committed against a trainee doctor at RGKMCH on August 9, 2024. Such baseless accusations further demoralize healthcare professionals who are struggling to serve the people of this state, despite the hostile conditions they currently face,” the doctors’ body said.
“In light of these facts, we demand that you issue an unconditional public apology to the medical fraternity and immediately retract your false statement. It is imperative that political leaders like yourself exercise responsibility and ensure that your words do not inflame tensions or lead to further unrest. We expect you to set the record straight and take corrective action promptly to prevent any potential repercussions arising from your misleading post.” it added.
This comes after a Konnagar youth died at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and TMC general secretary had called it a consequence of the ongoing protests.
TMC MP Banerjee had said that the protest by junior doctors is “valid and fair”, asking them to ensure that essential medical services do not get affected. Banerjee also said the boy lost his life as he did not receive the required medical attention on time.
“A young boy from Konnagar lost his life today following a road accident, after bleeding for 3 hours without receiving medical attention, a consequence of the ongoing protest by doctors in response to the #RGKar incident. While the demands of the junior doctors are both fair and valid, I urge them to protest in a way that doesn’t disrupt essential medical services,” TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee posted on X.
A postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last month while she was on night shift triggering nationwide protests.
