Kolkata doctors say there won’t be any discrimination against Bangladeshi patients

Doctors in several Kolkata hospitals have said they will continue to treat Bangladeshi patients without discrimination, after some hospitals in India recently announced that they would no longer provide care to patients from Bangladesh, reports the Times of India.

The clarification came after the JN Ray Hospital in Kolkata's Maniktala earlier last week announced that it would not treat any Bangladeshi patients as a sign of protest over the "desecration of the national flag of India in various places" in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Following the Kolkata hospital's declaration, two hospitals in Tripura also announced the same decision.

Speaking to the Times of India, Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra said, "In no way will we discriminate against patients from Bangladesh. Whether one is a Sanyasi, terrorist, or a petty criminal, they are all patients for doctors and hospitals."

Similarly, Dr Deepak Shankar Ray, the head of the nephrology department at RN Tagore International Hospital of Cardiac Sciences, said the daily number of patients from Bangladesh had dropped from 20 to around five in recent days, but it was not because of any stance of the hospital.

"Fewer patients are coming due to visa and travel issues. As doctors, we do not see the community, religion, or nationality of patients. They are all equal. We will continue our medical services to patients from our neighbouring country who can make it to the city," Ray added.

Cardiothoracic and heart transplant surgeon KM Mandana of Fortis Hospital in Kolkata's Anandapur also said there was no question of not tending to Bangladeshi patients who consider Kolkata their second home. 

"The relationship between Kolkata doctors and Bangladeshi patients has been strong for years now, and the current unrest will have no impact on this relationship. In fact, we are worried that many patients are unable to come for treatment as some conditions can go from bad to worse rapidly," said Mandana.

With visa troubles, some hospitals have also begun organising online consultations, according to the report.

"While these issues are political, professionally, we have taken the Hippocratic Oath and will treat all patients, including those from Bangladesh, equally," critical care specialist Dr Ajay Sarkar, head of the department at Peerless Hospital, told the Times of India.

In a press conference held on 3 December, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) made it clear that treatment for Bangladeshi patients visiting India cannot be halted under any circumstances.

In 2023, some 4,49,570 people from Bangladesh visited India for medical treatment, which was a 48% increase from 2022, according to Business Standard, an India-based newspaper. This made Bangladeshis the largest nationality of medical tourists to India, accounting for over 22.5% of all visitors.

Relationships between the two countries soured following former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster and her subsequent fleeing to India on 5 August. 

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam recently said an "⁠industrial level disinformation campaign" against Bangladesh is going  on from India.