Former BTC Deputy Chief Kampa Borgoyari Criticizes Government for Closing RN Brahma Civil Hospital, Sparks Protests in Kokrajhar

KOKRAJHAR: Coming down heavily on the UPPL-BJP government in Assam and BTC, former Deputy Chief of BTC Kampa Borgoyari on Monday slammed the move of the government to close down the RN Brahma Civil Hospital in the heart of Kokrajhar town by shifting all departments, equipment, doctors and other staff to Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) at Besorgaon, 10 km away from Kokrajhar town. The aim of the government is to create and build new institutions of education and health but the present government is closing down and demolishing the existing schools and hospital, he said. He also reiterated that the present governments in BTC and Assam were focused on demolishing schools and hospitals but not for creating new ones.

According to Kampa Borgoyari, a former deputy chief of BTC, the government has already shut down more than 400 schools in the BTC region. Next, they plan to close the RN Brahma Civil Hospital, the only elite hospital in the BTC area. “Is the intention of the government just to close down the schools and hospitals?”, he questioned.

He said the citizens of Kokrajhar had been demanding the continuation of RN Brahma Civil Hospital in the heart of Kokrajhar town but the government is ignoring it. The government should hear the voice of the people, he said.

All the conscious citizens, activists of Congress, CPIM, village headmen and leaders of various organizations joined the protest. He said the BJP and UPPL supporters must not think that only BPF supporters will suffer if the RN Brahma Civil Hospital is closed down but they must realize that everybody will suffer equally. He questioned what kind of service the BJP-UPPL government wants to deliver for the betterment of the people if they do not want to have patience to hear the public voice and their demand.

Meanwhile, the protesters in their memorandum to the Governor of Assam on Monday said both the RN Brahma Civil Hospital and KMCH had separate government entity, one is a civil hospital where the majority and marginalized section of the Kokrajhar district visit the hospital for serious and emergency treatment in a subsidized rate and on the other hand, the KMCH is a newly-inaugurated institution for medical students and to provide higher medical facilities with a completely new and separate government budget for new infrastructure, new medical equipments and new advanced medical facilities. Since the KMCH is the new Medical College and Hospital with separate budget, the equipment of this College and Hospital should be new and there is no question of taking away all old equipments of RN Brahma Civil Hospital to KMCH.

On Monday, there had been a brief argument between the District Commissioner of Kokrajhar PK Dwivedi and former cabinet minister Pramila Rani Brahma during the submission of memorandum as the DC sent ADC and in-charge of DIPRO, Kokrajhar Rima Haloi to receive the memorandum at the gate. The agitated leaders and hundreds of protesters forced the DC to come down and receive the memorandum. In the argument, the former minister said the KMCH was the outcome of sacrifice of Bodoland movement and RN Brahma Civil Hospital is the only premier civil hospital of BTC having connected with the history of the great tribal legend late Rupnath Brahma.

Also Read: Assam: Udayak Project Celebrates 34th Raising Day and World Blood Donor Day with Successful Blood Donation Camp

Also Watch: