TMC MLA Madan Mitra was engaged in a war of words with the head of the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata on Saturday over the treatment of a patient. Mitra alleged that he was insulted by the hospital administration at the behest of its medical superintendent, doctor Manimoy Bandyopadhyay, when he went there on Friday night after being informed that a patient could not get admitted.
Doctor Bandyopadhyay alleged that Mitra created a ruckus in the hospital at midnight and misbehaved with a female doctor. "We have informed the government, and were given a clear message that no such conduct will be tolerated," he told reporters.
Mitra claimed that doctor Bandyopadhyay briefed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrongly about the situation. "She is my leader, I respect her. I am ready to go to jail if asked by her. But, if someone uses her name to give false information, I will not accept that. If asked, I am ready to put in my papers as an MLA," he told reporters.
"The superintendent is nothing more than a government servant, is this the way to treat a people's representative?" Mitra asked, alleging doctor Bandyopadhyay was involved in corruption.
He said he went to the hospital as a poor family could not get its patient admitted and was in distress. "Let the CCTV footage be checked to confirm what they are alleging."
Later in the evening, Mitra met TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh. "I will continue to protest the misconduct of certain people at the helm of SSKM Hospital. I will never budge from my stance on the issue. I am sure the party's top brass will understand," he said after the meeting.
The TMC refused to comment on the fiasco. BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said Mitra brought to the fore the mismanagement at state-run hospitals. "Let's see what will be his stand in the coming days," he said.
