West Bengal Health Minister Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay has waded into the controversy surrounding allegations that a woman lost her right leg after undergoing treatment at a ‘Sebaashray’ medical camp.
According to sources in the health department, Mukhopadhyay has now summoned the woman, Malati Biswas, and her family to the state health department headquarters, Swasthya Bhawan, for a detailed discussion on Monday.
The camp was launched by Trinamool Congress (Kalighat) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in his Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency as a healthcare outreach programme, to ensure doorstep delivery of medical services.
According to sources from the health department, the minister will meet Malati and her family on Monday afternoon and has asked them to bring all relevant medical documents related to her treatment.
Malati had earlier lodged an FIR alleging that medical negligence during treatment at the ‘Sebaashray’ camp led to amputation of her right leg. She claimed that complications arising from treatment received at one of the camps eventually resulted in the loss of her leg.
BJP leader Abhijit Das said the state government has taken the matter seriously. “Following this inhuman incident, Malati has already been summoned to Swasthya Bhavan. The health minister himself understood the gravity of the issue and called her personally. He spoke to her over the phone, enquired about her physical condition and collected details of her treatment,” Das said.
Das alleged that Malati had become permanently disabled because of negligent treatment and said the government was committed to conducting a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the incident.
He further claimed that Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and the Health Minister had assured the family of all possible assistance.
The Trinamool Congress, however, urged caution before drawing conclusions.
“It would not be appropriate to comment without knowing the complete details. It is necessary to first establish whether the woman became disabled solely because of treatment at the ‘Sebaashray’ camp. Only after that can any definitive comment be made,” a senior Trinamool Congress leader said.
Based on Malati’s complaint, an FIR has been registered at Rabindranagar Police Station against the concerned medical centre and its officials.
Police have initiated an investigation and said necessary legal action would be taken in accordance with the findings of the probe.
The controversy comes amid increasing scrutiny of Abhishek Banerjee following the Trinamool Congress’ defeat in the May 4 Assembly elections.
This is not the first legal challenge involving the ‘Sebaashray’ programme. Earlier, an FIR was registered at Bishnupur Police Station alleging financial irregularities, misuse of government administrative machinery and wastage of medicines worth several lakh rupees in connection with healthcare initiative.
Leaders of the Kalighat unit of the Trinamool Congress have dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. They alleged that since the party lost power in the state, the BJP government has been using the police to initiate cases against Abhishek Banerjee and level various allegations against him.