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, 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 BJP has brought the Hindu-Muslim issue in between. I see the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxists) is also fanning the trouble here. I am shocked to see the friendship between 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 kin 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.

"I will start an inquiry into the entire matter, as both sides were seen resorting to violence as per CCTV footage, The inquiry will also include whether proper treatment was given to the deceased.

"We will have to pay heed to the version of the deceased patient's family members too. A person died after an injection being administered... There should be a proper investigation to find out if there was any truth behind it," she said.

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".

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

Asked about the doctors' demand that the Chief Minister intervene, Banerjee said: "They never said anything directly. On Tuesday, I had sent Chandrima Bhattacharya (Health Minister) and tried to speak to them over the phone but they had had the audacity to refuse".

Bengal has a history of agitation by hospital patients' parties and most of the time the situation has been brought under control, barring few incidents like the NRS case, she said.

Banerjee noted that the attack on the doctors was very unfortunate but disrupting hospital services is a crime.

"We have taken action against the attack, then why are they resorting to inaction due to political motivation. I have ensured the injured doctors get proper treatment. We are also bearing the entire cost of their treatment," she said.

"If they do not resume work, we will take action after 2 p.m. It is the Supreme Court's order that doctors cannot go on strike," she added.