Hospitals refuse admission to Abhishek Banerjee after attack in Sonarpur

Hours after being attacked by a mob in Sonarpur, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee was taken to two Kolkata hospitals, both of which declined admission after examination. Mamata Banerjee alleged political pressure behind the decision and demanded proper medical care

Kolkata: Second hospital in central Kolkata, where Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee, who was heckled and assaulted at Sonarpur in South 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal earlier in the day, was shifted on Saturday evening, refused admission, and instead issued a medical certificate stating “no admission required”.

After Banerjee was escorted out of Sonarpur by security forces, he was first taken to a private hospital near the East Metropolitan Bypass. However, Trinamool Congress supremo and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached there soon and alleged that the hospital was not properly treating her nephew.

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Thereafter, Banerjee was transferred to another private hospital in Minto Park, central Kolkata. He was taken to the ITU at the second hospital for examination.

Following a thorough examination, the authorities at Minto Park said admission was not required and issued a medical certificate stating “no admission required”.

In the certificate, a copy of which is available with IANS, it was stated that, since no major internal injuries were detected and Banerjee was fully conscious, he did not require admission. The hospital prescribed some medicines, including a digestive tablet.

On receiving the news, Mamata Banerjee, who was present at the hospital premises, flared up. Before leaving with her nephew, she alleged that both the hospital near East Metropolitan Bypass and the one at Minto Park refused admission and proper treatment because of pressure from the state administration.

She told reporters that in the case of the second hospital, “there was pressure from a deputy commissioner of Kolkata Police not to admit Abhishek. First, they won the elections through forgery and hooliganism. After that, they assaulted Abhishek. And now finally, they have pressurised so that he was not properly treated.”

She also claimed that the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called her and assured her of full cooperation in getting Banerjee treated at any hospital outside West Bengal.

Thereafter, she left the hospital premises with Banerjee. At the time of filing this report, the Trinamool Congress general secretary had reached his residence at Kalighat Road in south Kolkata, close to Mamata Banerjee’s residence.