Mob fury on Siliguri hospital after death

Ransack at the nursing home in Siliguri. (Passang Yolmo) 

TT, 4 November 2019, Siliguri: A mob ransacked Neotia Getwel Healthcare Centre, a private nursing home at Uttarayon in Siliguri, on Sunday and heckled doctors, paramedics and other staff following a boy's death.

Sources said five-year-old Shreyan Mondal, a resident of Kharibari block in Siliguri, had suffered serious head injuries on Thursday after being hit by a vehicle. Bhabotosh Mondal, his father who is also the pradhan of Trinamul-run Raniganj-Panishali panchayat in Kharibari, rushed him to the private nursing home. Shreyan died on Saturday night.

As the nursing home authorities informed his family on Sunday morning, some locals and relatives came to the hospital and alleged negligence in treatment.

"Whenever we wanted to know his condition, the nursing home authorities did not provide us clear information and kept us in the dark. We had told them that if required, we can shift him to some other place for better treatment but they insisted best treatment was being provided," said a relative.

As the word spread, more people gathered and resorted to ransacking the reception, front offices and furniture, besides breaking glasses. Private security guards tried to control the situation but failed. Soon, police from Matigara arrived and brought the situation under control.

Ranjan Sarkar, the Darjeeling (plains) district Trinamul chief, went to the nursing home. "All necessary inquiries will be done to find out the reason behind the boy's death. Anybody found responsible will have to face the consequences," Sarkar said.

No official from the nursing home was available for comment. A source said the authorities were looking into the family's allegations.

Cooch Behar fracas 

Relatives of a patient ransacked the sub-divisional hospital in Mathabhanga and assaulted some guards after her baby's death.

Hospital superintendent Arnab Chatterjee claimed the baby was "stillborn" while the relatives alleged the child died during delivery because of negligence. "We have filed a police complaint. Such incidents cannot be tolerated," Chatterjee said.

Additional reporting by our Cooch Behar correspondent.