In a heartbreaking incident, a newborn child in Agarpara, West Bengal died due to alleged lack of treatment because of the ongoing doctors’ strike across the State. Abhijit Mallik, the father of the child, told the reporters that the child was born on June 11 and was suffering from a breathing problem. When the child’s condition deteriorated on June 12, the doctors at the Hospital advised consulting a child-specialist Hospital.
Mallik alleged that he took the child to several hospitals but the child was not attended and the child died on June 13. “It is my bad luck. My child died due to lack of treatment. He was not attended by any doctor because of their strike”, Mallik told reporters in North Parganas district. He also alleged that his calls to the State’s health department were not responded to.
The father blamed the Police for not letting him enter. He said, ““RG Kar, Medical, Chittaranjan, Police didn’t allow us to enter. I told them my child is serious, I had paper from Sagar Dutta college (which had recommended us to go to better hospital). Junior doctors tried their best, they helped us a lot, they were crying, but police didn’t let us in. They said they called the health ministry four times but no one picked up the phone”.
The doctors in the State have been holding a strike in the State since the doctors in Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital were attacked by a mob after an 85-year old man named Mohammed Sayeed reportedly died of natural causes on June 10.
Calling the agitating doctors’ ‘outsiders’, West Bengal Chief Minister had given them an ultimatum yesterday to end the protest and resume work or face the action. Instead of addressing the doctors demands, she condemned the doctors who had gone on strike and called the situation a conspiracy of the BJP and the CPI.
Editor’s Note: The report was updated with relevant information at 5:40 p.m. (IST).
