Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee asks protesting doctors to rejoin work amid looming health crisis

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday called upon the junior doctors to end their protest against the rape and murder of their colleague in R. G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata and return to work amid the looming health crisis in the state in the wake of the post-flood situation.

The Chief Minister appealed to the protesting doctors while reviewing the flood situation in Udaynarayanpur block in Kolkata.

“As the flood waters recede, there are chances of snake-bites and spread of diarrhoea. The situation will call for the opening of temporary medical camps. We are trying our best. But I hope that good sense will prevail on the junior doctors and they will return to work. It is not the time for politics. It is the time to save the lives of people,” the Chief Minister said. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister claimed that West Bengal always becomes the victim of water released from elsewhere.

“North Bengal is affected due to the release of water from Bhutan. Malda district is affected because of the water released from Bihar. Finally, the entire south Bengal is affected due to Damodar Valley Corporation releasing water from two dams,” the Chief Minister said. She said that the state government has always requested DVC to start releasing water gradually when their barrages are 80 per cent full.

“If they do that, the people of South Bengal would not have to face such problems. But they never listen to us. At the same time, the lack of adequate dredging has worsened the situation. If DVC continues to create problems for us we will have to think whether we will maintain connections with their authorities,” the Chief Minister said.

On Wednesday, the Chief Minister visited some of the inundated pockets at Pursurah block in Hooghly district and blamed the DVC for the flood situation in the state. “DVC has released over 3.5 lakh cusecs of water in one go, the highest ever. I have personally talked to the Jharkhand Chief Minister and the DVC authorities,” the Chief Minister said. (IANS)

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