Tripura hospital shuts door for Bangladeshi patients

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

Agartala-based ILS Hospital, which has been a popular destination for patients from the neighbouring country 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.

ILS hospital chief operating officer Gautam Hazarika said, "We extend full support to the demand of suspension of treatment to people from Bangladesh at our health facility. Our help desks at Akhaura check post and ILS hospitals have been closed from today 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 protestors said, "Disrespect to the Indian national flag and attacks on minorities is totally unrespectable. Fundamentalists are imparting training to students on how to disrespect our national flags." The protestor added, "We appeal to other institutions to stop providing any services to Bangladesh citizens."

"Seeing the tricolour being insulted, we have decided to stop treating Bangladeshis. India has played an important role in their independence but despite that, we are witnessing anti-India sentiments. We hope other hospitals will support us and take similar steps," JN Ray Hospital official Subhranshu Bhakt said on Friday.