OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: In a series of protests against the merger of RN Brahma Civil Hospital of Kokrajhar town with Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital, Besorgaon, the citizens of Kokrajhar town on Tuesday took out a huge rally in Kokrajhar. The rally started from Civil Hospital to DC office via RN Brahma Road. Citizens from various communities joined the rally and shouted slogans against merger of Civil Hospital with Medical College and Hospital.
Former Assam Minister Pramila Rani Brahma and BTC MCLA Doneswar Goyary also joined the rally along with prominent personalities and social activists. A memorandum signed by social activists was sent to Assam Chief Minister through Kokrajhar DC demanding to prevent the shifting of infrastructure and resources from Rupnath Brahma Civil Hospital, Kokrajhar.
In the memorandum, they said that under the authorised order of the State government, the entire infrastructure and resources of the Rupnath Nath Brahma Civil Hospital, Kokrajhar town are on the verge of being removed and transplanted into the new Medical College building of Besorgoan, 9 km of Kokrajhar town. They said the new medical college without any doubt was a source of rekindled hope of employment and learning for unemployed as much as aspirants while the old Civil Hospital in the heart of the town is accessible for the poor patients from far and near.
The Civil Hospital was established in 1954 by Late Rupnath Brahma, a revolutionist, freedom fighter, former Minister of Assam, a social activist. He was a guiding force for the Bodo community who was an architect of modern Kokrajhar town who encouraged every youth to be educated and uplift the community in their small ways. Thereby, uprooting the civil hospital as a whole will abolish late Rupnath Brahma's memory from the place of his origin. Trying to remove every memory of the Bodo parameters from their source of origin is equivalent to destroy their originality and indigenous identity. If the connecting link of the past and present is torn apart, the future of the community is at stake. Hence, instead of shifting, rather transplanting, the old equipments and gadgets from the Civil Hospital to the new Medical College, it is best suited to provide the latest equipments and infrastructures which empower the medical professionals, new medical students, patients enrolled for treatment. Apart from that, if the government can afford or desires, new medical equipment and infrastructure may be replaced with the old ones in the Civil Hospital. The Civil Hospital in Kokrajhar town has 200 beds. Hence, instead of moving the beds and other facilities, if new and modern facilities are provided in the new a medical college then the sum total will give opportunity for more patients to be treated at the same short period of time. With expansion of town and immigration of new sections of people into Kokrajhar, the medical infrastructure and resources must increase and expand, not simple be shifted or uprooted.
In view of the above, the citizens requested the CM in the interest of the general public service that the present status of the Rupnath Brahma Civil Hospital of Kokrajhar town may not be disturbed and be allowed to continue to function as has been existing since its inception.
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