The Mamata Banerjee government of West Bengal has suspended a senior doctor working at the state government hospital at Barasat in North 24 Pargana district. Doctor Arunachal Dutta Choudhaury was suspended for his post on Facebook saying that there had been spike in dengue cases in the district.

The health department took objection to his Facebook posts which alleged that that the Mamata Banerjee government was suppressing facts relating to the dengue menace in the state.

The suspension order issued by the health department said that Arunachal Dutta Choudhury's posts on the social media amounted to "misinterpretation in the public and (are) derogatory to the hospital administration."

Arunachal Dutta Choudhury, an MD, claimed in the posts that 500 people were admitted at the hospital on October 6 and wrote about his struggle to diagnose the patients many of whom were lying on the floor. However, the health department also said that "some doctors made unsubstantiated claims which at times cause fear and panic in the public."

DENGUE OUTBREAK IN WEST BENGAL

According to the health department and as stated in an affidavit in the Calcutta High Court in response to a PIL on dengue outbreak, there have been 19 deaths in state-run hospitals since January and 18,135 cases were reported in various government clinical establishments.

The suspended doctor on the other hand said that even when hundreds of patients were being admitted with dengue, the doctors were being asked to mention other medical conditions as reasons for death in certificates so that the state government could suppress real dengue death figures in the state.

"The district's health administration claims that all arrangements are in place but the reality is, hospital administration is helpless. There are unwritten instructions to cover up mess or else individual heads will roll," Choudhury said in his Facebook post.

While speaking to India Today, Choudhury said, "In this hospital, I was in-charge of general medicine ward which is not my specialty. I am an MD in Chest and Tuberculosis. I am worried but I shall abide by the decision of the government."

Known for his diligence at work, the veteran medical officer claimed that his service agreement was extended to 65 years as against the age limit of 58 years for retirement without his consent.

POLITICS OVER DENGUE

Reacting to doctor's suspension, CPM leader Fuad Halim said, "The suspension only reveals the state of health facility in Bengal. The system is in dire straits in the state."

"Despite the way dengue has taken epidemic proportions in the state as admitted by the government before the high court, it is pressurising government doctors not to write dengue in their official records. This has led to massive anger among the doctors' community," Halim added.

On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress administration came up with varied reasons for the spike in the vector borne disease. From "abrupt behaviour of climate" to "huge movement of population during long holiday seasons" were blamed for increase in dengue cases.

The administration said that people coming in "close contact through inter-state movement of people and through international borders" are some of the reasons attributed by the state.