Amid reports of Indian flag being desecrated, Kolkata hospital says ‘won’t treat patients from Bangladesh’

BJP leader and Kolkata Municipal Corporation councillor Sajal Ghosh is one of the directors of the 141-bed hospital run by a trust. The hospital usually has 20 per cent Bangladeshi patients, sources said.

“Our hospital is a society-run hospital and Ghosh is one of the directors…,” Bhakta told The Indian Express on Saturday. “We do not have any Bangladeshi patients right now. Three Bangladeshi patients were discharged over the last few days. Only then did we announce (that we will) stop admitting Bangladeshi patients,” Bhakta added.

Posters put up in Kolkata in protest of arrest of a Hindu monk in Bangladesh. (Express Photo)

The development came on a day when India pressed for a “fair and transparent trial” for Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested on charges of treason in Bangladesh earlier this week. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said on Friday that New Delhi had conveyed its concern over the attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

Earlier, renowned gynaecologist Indranil Saha had said on social media that he had stopped seeing Bangladeshi patients. On Thursday night, Saha posted a picture on social media purportedly showing the desecration of the Indian flag in Bangladesh. “The Indian national flag is lying at the entrance of BUET University! I am stopping seeing Bangladeshi patients in the chamber for now. Country first, income later. I hope other doctors will do the same until the relationship is normal,” Saha had said.

On Friday afternoon, Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, made the same demand. “I bow down to Dr Indranil Saha. He said, my country first, income after…I request the entire Indian medical community, businessmen and India lovers to boycott Bangladesh completely,” Adhikari had said.