'WB will amend laws to bring local students in medical'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said her government will make amendments to laws to make room for more local students in the medical stream.

Banerjee said a large number of students are working as interns in medical colleges and hospitals, who are not well versed in the local language.

"I think this system should change. Earlier, we used to have more locals studying, but now, there are more students from outside the state, who do not have much idea about the language and cannot communicate with the patients," she told reporters at the state-run SSKM hospital here.

The chief minister said the proposed amendments will allow the entry of 20 per cent more local students in the medical stream.

"We will do that and I have given such instructions," Banerjee said.

She was at the SSKM hospital to take stock of the situation at the facility, as regular services have been disrupted following agitation by junior doctors.

"The state government spends Rs 25 lakh on every student to make him/her a doctor... And, then after becoming a doctor, they sign a bond for two to three years and leave the state once that period is complete," Banerjee added.

Medical services have been affected in the state since Saturday's attack on two junior doctors by relatives of a patient, who had died at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and hospital. One of the junior doctors was grievously injured in the incident.