Tripura Leader of the Opposition and CPIM Leader Jitendra Chaudhury urged Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha not to allow setting up a proposed medical college by West Bengal based “Swadheen Trust” which is managed by Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, as per Jitendra Chowdhury.

Anubrata Mondal who is currently in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in connection with the cattle-smuggling case.

The LoP in his letter to the Chief Minister quoting media reports said ” Recently, it has come into my notice from various print and electronic media of this state that, one West Bengal based private entity, namely, ‘Swadheen Trust”, has applied to the State Government for handing over or for using the available services, facilities and infrastructure of the century old, historic and iconic health institution of Tripura, namely, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (erstwhile Victoria Memorial Hospital) of Agartala town, which is one of the two state referral hospitals of Tripura too, for running one private medical college, namely, ‘Shantiniketan Medical College’, by them and even more concerning news, as came out in media was that, already the aforesaid private entity has started mobilization of materials, equipment, hospital beds, etc., occupying the space and infrastructure of the existing government hospital, though necessary decision of the government, permitting the entity to do so, is yet to be accorded officially, by observing all norms and formalities, required to be fulfilled in this regard as per the prevailing rules!

As such, though there are two medical colleges, which are operational in the state at present, but having more such colleges in the series is always welcome. But it can never be appreciable to hand over an existing and operational, government run state referral hospital, to any private entity, as that will certainly make an essential and basic service, like, health facilities, costlier and more troublesome for the people of the state, particularly for the economically weaker sections. Already the said hospital is overburdened with both indoor and outdoor facilities in multi-speciality healthcare, like, mother and child care, medicine, surgical unit, ophthalmic unit, etc. Moreover, one Dental College and one Nursing College have also been accommodated within the same premises, which is not large enough for the said existing purposes, even and therefore, is already suffering congestion. Now, accommodating a medical college within the same complex does not seem wise, as it will certainly make the whole institute a suffocating one. Instead, efforts may be taken to establish more medical college(s) at and around Agartala and other Districts too, with sufficient space. That, in one hand, will extend better medical facilities for the people of remote Districts, while on the other hand, will add and boost up the healthcare network of the state, as a whole.”

He also added, “Further, it was reported in news items published in various print media of the state that, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, namely, Shri Subhendu Adhikari, had already requested the Union Health Minister, by a letter, that the ‘Swadheen Trust’ is actually managed by one Shri Anubrata Mondal of Birbhoom District of West Bengal, who happens to be a prominent leader of the party in power in that state, and since, presently Shri Mondal is under trial in the court of law and is in jail custody, due to some serious allegation of corruption against him, hence, the ‘Swadheen Trust’ should not be allowed to run ‘Shantiniketan Medical College’ in the state of West Bengal. If that is true, then it seems wise to think twice, before allowing the same entity to run a medical college in Tripura too. Considering the gravity and seriousness of the issue, I would like to draw your personal attention into the matter, so that the very basic interest of the people of Tripura, like, healthcare, may not suffer in any manner, even to any minimum extent also. Moreover, while public health is one of the most important subjects of our national goal, hence the fate of such subject should never be compromised at any cost”.