By TANMOY CHAKRABORTY

Agartala, Oct 31: Alleging the health sector of Tripura has totally collapsed, deputy opposition leader of CPI (M) and former minister Badal Chowdhury on Saturday demanded the BJP-led state government to immediately appoint unemployed MBBS doctors on ad hoc basis and said arrangements should be made to regularise them through Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC) in the future.

Expressing extreme distrust towards the healthcare system in the state, Chowdhury in a letter to chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb said the healthcare system has declined to an unprecedented level.

“… I would like to draw your attention here as you are the chief minister and the minister of health as well. I have tested positive for COVID-19 recently. But due to the poor environment of the state-run GB Pant Hospital, I was forced to seek treatment staying at home instead of going to the hospital. Currently, most of the Covid-infected people in the state are being forced to seek treatment at home due to the worst condition of the hospitals,” he alleged.

‘Patients not treated properly’

The former minister also alleged that the people suffering from complex respiratory disorder are being forced to go to the hospitals, adding that their treatment was not given due importance and attention.

“In this circumstance the government should appoint doctors, nurses in the district, subdivision and primary health centres to upgrade the facility. Hundreds of MBBS unemployed doctors are waiting for appointment, while posts of hundreds of doctors at various levels have been lying vacant for a long time. Especially in the current situation it should not be allowed to continue. Government should hire the unemployed doctors on an ad hoc basis without wasting time and arrangements should be made to regularise the employees through TPSC in the future,” Badal stated in the letter.

MLA’s plea in the past 

Few days ago former health minister and MLA Tapan Chakraborty also flagged few loopholes in the state health sector. He also urged the government to immediately appoint unemployed MBBS doctors as the state was facing shortage of doctors.

On October 19, more than 90 MBBS graduates from Tripura who are currently unemployed and interested to serve in Tripura Health Services amid the outbreak of the Covid-19 have submitted a memorandum to chief minister Deb demanding immediate recruitment against vacant posts in the state health services.