‘False and inflammatory’: Doctors criticise TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee for calling youth’s deaths a result of doctors’ protest – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The West Bengal Joint Platform of Doctors on Monday wrote a letter to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and demanded an unconditional apology for “untrue and inflammatory statements made 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 due to the ongoing protests by doctors.
The panel filed a protest, writing: “We write to formally protest and express our deep concern about the untrue and malicious statement you posted to your X account (formerly Twitter) on September 6, 2024 at 10:27 p.m..”
“This statement is categorically false and misleading. The young male patient, who was suffering from polytrauma due to a tragic road accident, was referred to a higher centre from Srirampur and was admitted to RG Kar Medical College promptly at 9:10 AM on the same day, 6th September, 2024. The attending doctors attended to him immediately and continued to provide him medical attention at various points of time till his unfortunate demise at 12:30 PM as mentioned in the provisional death certificate. The bed head receipts and statement of the MSVP of RGKMCH will categorically substantiate our claim and refute your report,” the letter read.
The doctors’ body also refuted Banerjee’s claim that the patient was left unattended in the hospital, saying Banerjee’s claim has no basis in truth and ignores the efforts of the doctors. medical professionals.
“Contrary to your claim, the patient did not “bleed for 3 hours without medical attention.” Your claim has no basis in truth and ignores the efforts of the medical professionals who did everything possible to save the patient’s life. Your public statement is not only factually incorrect but also potentially dangerous. By spreading such misinformation, you risk inciting violence and hostility against the medical community, which is already under immense pressure and shock following the heinous crime committed on August 9, 2024 against a junior doctor at RGKMCH. Such baseless allegations demoralize healthcare professionals who are struggling to serve the people of this state despite the hostile circumstances they currently face,” the doctors’ association said.
“In light of these facts, we demand that you tender an unconditional public apology to the medical fraternity and immediately retract your false statement. It is imperative that political leaders like you take responsibility and ensure that your words do not fuel tensions or lead to further unrest. We expect you to set the record straight and take prompt corrective measures to avoid possible repercussions arising from your misleading message,” it added.
This comes after a young man from Konnagar died at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which the TMC General Secretary termed as a result of the ongoing protests.
TMC MP Banerjee had said that the protest by young doctors is “valid and fair” and asked them to ensure that essential medical services are not affected. Banerjee also said that the boy lost his life because he did not get the required medical attention on time.
“A young boy from Konnagar lost his life today in a road accident after bleeding for 3 hours without medical attention, a consequence of the ongoing protest by doctors in response to the #RGKar incident. While the demands of the young doctors are both valid and justified, I urge them to protest in a manner that does not disrupt essential medical services,” TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee wrote on X.
A junior doctor was raped and murdered last month at the government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata while on night duty, triggering nationwide protests.