Stern action should be taken against those found guilty of endangering lives: TMC’s Abhishek

Falta (WB), Jan 15 (PTI) TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday said that stern action should be taken against those found guilty of carelessness that endangers lives.

The comment of Banerjee, considered number two in the Trinamool Congress hierarchy, came days after one woman died and four others fell critically ill after delivering children following alleged administration of expired intravenous fluid at government-run Medinipur Medical College and Hospital (MMCH).

He was speaking at a health camp 'Sebaashray', organised in Falta in South 24 Parganas district. The camp is an initiative by Banerjee, the TMC MP from Diamond Harbour constituency.

Responding to a question on the recent incident in MMCH, Banerjee said, "The government has ordered an inquiry and investigation into the lapse." But branding the entire health system as collapsed would be wrong, he said in reply to another question.

"I think stern action should be taken and departmental proceedings should be initiated," he said.

The TMC leader said that government infrastructure operates at the block levels, while the 'Sebaashray' camps are designed to cater to village-level needs.

Banerjee also highlighted that since TMC came to power in 2011, the state government has significantly developed and expanded health institutions across West Bengal.

"Swasthya Sathi is a major initiative launched by our government, unlike Ayushman Bharat by the BJP government (at the Centre), which targets only a selective group of people," he remarked.

Speaking about the internal conflicts in the TMC, Abhishek Banerjee said, Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee has already made it clear that the police should act independently in their investigations.

"Nothing is more important than party discipline. Anyone who thinks they are big shots and do not adhere to party discipline will face consequences. They will find themselves marginalised within the party," he said.

Differences crop up even in families and since the Trinamool Congress is a large party, there will be differences, he said adding that if someone is weakening the party, it would not be tolerated.

To a question referring to a recent murder case involving TMC leaders, Banerjee said, "Have you ever seen such action in other political parties? Have you ever seen members of ruling parties getting arrested during the Left Front's rule in the past or the BJP-ruled states? We have done that," he said.

Responding to a query on Delhi assembly elections, Banerjee said, "Do you think Congress can defeat BJP in Delhi or even the Aam Aadmi Party? If someone is truly interested in defeating the BJP, we must empower the force which is stronger," he said.

Speaking on his initiative, 'Sebaashray' health camp, Banerjee said 2.5 lakh people have registered at the Diamond Harbour camp in the last 10 days.

The Falta camp, which is on its fourth day, is receiving 13,000 registrations daily, he said.

"We do not believe in boycott politics. We stand for all of Bengal. I am an MP not just for those who voted for me, but also for those who did not. I represent the entire Diamond Harbour constituency," Banerjee said.

Congratulating doctors and health staff for their role in these camps, the MP said they are also attending to critical patients from other districts, ensuring they receive proper care.

"All efforts are being made to provide quality and critical services, including referrals and specialised treatments," Banerjee added.

But 'Sebaashray' camps should not be compared with the state government's health infrastructure, he said. PTI BSM SBN NN SBN