A hospital in Agartala, Tripura has refused to treat patients from Bangladesh in light of atrocities against minority Hindus in Bangladesh. The stand from the Tripura hospital came just a day after a hospital in Kolkata took similar position.
The ILS hospital in Agartala sees many patients from Bangladesh because of its proximity to the Indo-Bangladesh border and affordable healthcare costs.
The hospital has now said that the decision to stop treating patients from Bangladesh was taken in light of the controversy that has erupted in Bangladesh over disrespect to the Bangladeshi flag and the position taken by the government vis-a-vis members of Hindu minority community. It also cited disrespect to Indian national flag.
“We extend full support to the demand of suspension of treatment to people from Bangladesh at our health facility. Our help desks at Akhaura check post and ILS hospitals have been closed from today onwards,” said ILS hospital’s chief operating officer Gautam Hazarika as quoted by NDTV.
The step from the Agartala hospital has come after protest demanding that it stop treating Bangladeshi patients.
On Saturday (November 30) Kolkata’s JN Roy Hospital refused to treat patients from Bangladesh.
Swarup Ray, Senior Manager of the hospital, told news agency Desk that it was monitoring the situation in Bangladesh. He said that the hospital felt compelled to take a stand.
He said that given India’s support to Bangladesh in last 50 years, it was disheartening to see developments in Bangladesh today.
“For the past week we have been closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh. A lot of patients from Bangladesh come to the hospital for treatment… The Indian Flag is being disrespected in Bangladesh. Even the students and intellectuals disrespect the Indian flag and even the government of Bangladesh is not talking about it. India helped Bangladesh get independence and they are thinking so low (disrespecting the Indian flag)…,” said Ray