Multi-specialty hospital in Agartala stops health services for Bangladeshi patients

A day after a Kolkata hospital decided not to treat patients from Bangladesh over atrocities against minority Hindus, a multi-specialty healthcare facility in Agartala also followed suit on Saturday.

Agartala-based ILS Hospital, which has been a popular destination for patients from the neighbouring Bangladesh due to its proximity and affordable treatment costs, said the decision was taken over atrocities against Hindus and disrespect to the national flag in Bangladesh.

On Friday, JN Ray Hospital in North Kolkata stopped treating patients from the neighbouring country for the same reasons. Hospital in North Calcutta's Manicktala area says it won't treat Bangladeshi patients

ILS hospital chief operating officer Gautam Hazarika, after a protest inside the hospital by a large section of youths with national flags raising slogans against Bangladesh, said that the hospital authority extends full support to the demand of suspension of treatment to people from Bangladesh at their health facility. He said that  help desks at Akhaura check post and ILS hospitals have been closed from Saturday  onwards.

Hazarika's remarks came in response to a group of people who had staged a protest at the hospital, demanding that the facility stop providing medical services to Bangladeshi citizens, citing disrespect towards the Indian flag and growing concerns over the treatment of Hindus in the neighbouring country.

One of the protesters said that disrespect to the Indian national flag and attacks on minorities is totally unrespectable and fundamentalists are imparting training to students on how to disrespect  Indian national flags. The protesters  also appealed to other institutions to stop providing any services to Bangladesh citizens.