Protesters Oppose Merger of RN Brahma Civil Hospital with KMCH Amidst BTC Budget Session

KOKRAJHAR: The protesters who are opposing the shifting of RN Brahma Civil Hospital, Kokrajhar to Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration in front of the BTC main entrance gate on Tuesday but the police personnel prevented them from entering the secretariat complex.

As the budget session of BTC began today, the protesters shouted slogans to stop merger of the premier civil hospital with the KMCH, shifting of doctors, nurses, para-medical staff and equipment. Former cabinet minister of Assam Pramila Rani Brahma, senior BPF leader Maloti Rani Narzary and others joined the protest. Later, they tried to enter the gate to submit a memorandum to CEM of BTC but the police on duty prevented them to enter in front of the gate.

Meanwhile, the MCLA of BTC Derhasat Basumatary who is the leader of opposition in the BTC assembly raised the issue during question hour in the budget session on Tuesday and sought the copy of resolution adopted in the Executive Council meeting on shifting of various services and departments of RN Brahma Civil Hospital to KMCH and copy of order of BTC. In reply, the EM of Health and Family Welfare Arup Kr. Dey replied that the matter of RN Brahma Civil Hospital was not placed in the last Executive Council meeting and no order was issued by the CEM and EM of the concerned department.

Later, talking to media persons after the end of the budget session, the leader of opposition Derhasat Basumatary said a meeting was held in the office of the Superintendent of RN Brahma Civil Hospital on May 29 and decided to shift the EYE, ENT, Psychiatry, Dental and Physiotherapy departments by June 6 and accordingly, the services of five departments of RN Brahma Civil Hospital had been shifted to KMCH. He claimed that the UPPL-led council government had been maintaining dual standards regarding the matter. Firstly, they had stated that the RN Brahma Civil Hospital would not be closed or moved to KMCH. Secondly, they had said that no proposal had been made to move the civil hospital to KMCH or merge it with it, and that no directive had been given to do so.  He said such irrelevant answers of council’s leaders have confused the people.

Basumatary said the CEM Pramod Boro and cabinet minister UG Brahma recently revealed that to fulfil the norms of the Medical College and Hospital, the daily visit of patients should be 800 as per the Medical Council of India (MCI) but he questioned the stand of the government on continuation of services of civil hospital and how they want to fulfil the norms of MCI simply looking at the number of patients of civil hospital by shifting them to KMCH. He said everyone needed the Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital as it was the decades long demand of the people of the region.

Basumatary said the government failed to bring sufficient doctors and para-medical staff, high tech equipment and other advanced facilities to attract the patients as a result of which the doctors of KMCH take the option of referring patients to other hospitals. “If a patient cannot get a treatment in the Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital and is referred to other hospitals due to lack of equipment and facilities then who will go to KMCH?,” he questioned. He said instead of merging RN Brahma Civil Hospital with the KMCH, the government should initiate a corrective step and bring sufficient doctors with specialists, para-medical staff and advanced equipment and honest services then the patients’ flow will increase automatically. He also asked the council government to drop the myopic thinking of just shifting of civil hospitals with an aim to increase the number of patients in KMCH without strengthening its manpower, equipment and equitable services.

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