Kolkata, Feb 28 (IANS) NGO People for Better Treatment (PBT) has termed as "unlawful" the refusal to treat swine flu patients by certain hospitals in West Bengal, and said it would move court if the state government fails to meet its demands of ensuring proper treatment for all patients.
The toll due to swine flu in the state has risen to seven with the death of a person at a city hospital, while 12 fresh cases were reported taking the total number of positive cases to 112.
PBT, a registered society fighting for a better healthcare system, expressed concern as "increasing number of patients who are infected with swine flu virus are denied treatment by private and government hospitals in Kolkata and West Bengal".
It submitted a memorandum Feb 25 to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the health portfolio.
The move came in the wake of reports of many city hospitals discharging swine flu patients without proper treatment.
In the submission, the society urged the government to take "responsibility of assuring" treatment for all swine flu patients.
"Proper treatment in isolation unit or ICU with appropriate anti-viral medicines could easily save patients infected with swine flu virus.
"Refusal to treat swine flu patients is unlawful and against the principles of ethical practice of medicine," it noted.
The Bengal government has slapped show cause notice on four hospitals for discharging swine flu patients without treatment. Three of the hospitals are situated in Kolkata. Another one is in the suburbs. The government has also started a probe.
State-run hospitals are currently under tremendous strain with many private hospitals refusing to treat patients.
"While private hospitals are refusing to admit swine flu patients for unsubstantiated fear, government hospitals have also failed to provide appropriate medical care resulting in several deaths.
"In fact, the present situation has triggered panic in the minds of ordinary people in West Bengal," said the memorandum signed by PBT president Kunal Saha.
"We request that the government take exemplary punitive action against the hospitals/nursing homes that have refused to treat swine flu patients. The government must also take responsibility to assure treatment for all swine flu patients," it said.
"We also urge that the family of each swine flu patient who died from lack or refusal of medical care by government or private hospitals must be awarded a compensation of Rs.10 lakh for their loss.
"Unless the government accepts our demands, we would be compelled to move the court of law," the submission said.
The government claims the N440K strain not dangerous, but cases of infection rising due to this variant
Cases of corona infection in India are increasing steadily. Millions of infected patients are being found every day, while thousands are losing their lives due to infection. It was previously believed
Opportunity in disaster: Indian corporates improved health in the era of Corona, companies' profits were multiplied by Pre-Covid
Covid has made a deep impact on the economy of the whole world, but during this time the health of Indian corporate got better year after year. The epidemic started in 2019 and since then the profits
Lombardi doctors called Wuhan of Italy are saying - there is a sound of paper shrinking from the lungs of patients
Andrea Frazetta, Jason Horowitz. More than 18 thousand people have died from coronavirus in Italy. The highest number of deaths occurred in the Lombardy region. That is why Lombardy is being called
Windows Crashed: Windows systems are suddenly restarting, users around the world are troubled, banks are shut down.
There is news of a big bug in Microsoft's Windows operating system. Due to this bug, the screen of the system of Windows users around the world is turning blue. People are constantly complaining on
India will recover 7 lakh crores annually from rich countries: Said to countries like America - Because of you, the condition of our country is bad, the damages will have to be paid!
First: Every year 83 thousand people die due to severe heat in India.
Delhi Police vacates Shaheen Bagh as capital goes under curfew, 9 taken in custody
कोरोनावायरस के प्रकोप के बीच दिल्ली में सीआरपीसी की धारा 144 लागू कर दी गई है
Bible Controversy: The Archbishop denied the allegations, said - no student of other religion became Christian in our school
After the Hijab controversy in Karnataka, now the controversy regarding the Bible has continued. Recently, Hindu organizations protested over the alleged mandatory Bible for all students at the more
'Covaxin is completely safe, no side effects', Bharat Biotech said - people's safety was the priority while making the vaccine.
Bharat Biotech claimed on Thursday that its anti-coronavirus vaccine Covaxin is safe. It has no side effects. Bharat Biotech made this claim amid AstraZeneca's admission that the
Russia Ukraine War: Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's instructions - Ukraine's support and sanctions against Russia will remain intact
Russia's special military operation in Ukraine is going on and there is also a sequence of serial attacks here. In such a situation, to teach a lesson to Russia, Western countries have imposed various
Sri Lanka Crisis: How Sri Lanka's economy got derailed while walking on the path of speed, which created a ruckus, know - China's role in this
The ongoing political and economic unrest in India's neighborhoods has attracted the attention of the whole world. India is also eyeing the economic and political plight of Sri Lanka. India's concern
