More than 1000 residents of Silchar town took out a candle march in Silchar on Friday, in protest against lack of medical facilities in Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) that led to a youth, SayantanChakraborty, loose his life, due to cardiac arrest on the auspicious occasion of Bijaya Dashami.
Turning 25 years a few days back, and having completed his MBA, Sayantan, returned from Kolkata to be with his friends and family members during the festive occasion of Durga Puja.
But, complaining of a chest pain on the wee hours of Bijaya Dashami on October 8, he was rushed to a private nursing home, who in turn referred him to SMCH.
Having diagnosed Sayantan, SMCH in the garb of not having adequate facilities to do an ‘angioplasty’ out here in Silchar, suggested his family members and friends to take him to NEIGRIMS in Shillong or Guwahati, only, that journey came to an abrupt end near Jowai, when he succumbed to his fatality.
The rage for his death due to lack of facilities in SMCH went viral through social media and a call to bring out a protest march on Friday, saw more than a 1000 residents come out and bring the town to a standstill.
The protest candle light march which began from Capital point in Silchar ended up in Madhyasahar’s municipality area where candles were lit and a minute’s silence observed in memory of Sayantan.
Speaking to Northeast Now, Sayantan’s cousin and elder sister JhumnaChakraborty, said, “My only question is why there was no senior doctor when Sayantan was taken for medical treatment.”
“The PG students tried their best, but, I admit puja festivities are for everyone but that does not mean all the senior doctors should be on leave at one go,” she added.
She also said, “Why we are negligent about such grave issues like medical facilities? His friends scampered from here and there and found an ambulance to take him to Shillong only after three hours have passed by.”
“We are making big malls but not giving much due attention to what is going on in SMCH,” she added.
Moutuli Gupta, speaking to this correspondent said, “Why we lack facilities in our SMCH. He is the only son of his parents and now just imagine what they will go through. Why such an old hospital that has celebrated its golden jubilee a year back, lacks so many things.”
DrRajibKar, a homeopath, was even crass in venting out his anger and said, “We indeed do have everything in paper, but not on the ground as far as SMCH is concerned. There are doctors but not specialists of their respective fields.”
“Today we have awakened mourning for Sayantan, but, don’t know how many more are dying each day due to lack of such essential facilities in SMCH,” said Dr Kar.