The Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal, has penned a heartfelt letter to Trinamul Congress general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee, asking for an unconditional apology over a statement he shared on his X handle, regarding the tragic death of a young boy from Konnagar, Hooghly on 6 September.

In the letter, co-convenors Dr Punyabrata Gun and Dr Hiralal Konar yesterday expressed their deep concerns, saying, “We are writing to formally protest and express our sincere worry regarding the incorrect and harmful statement you posted on X (formerly Twitter) on 6 September at 10.27 pm. You claimed: ‘A young boy from Konnagar lost his life today following a road accident, after bleeding for 3 hours without receiving medical attention, a consequence of the ongoing protest by doctors in response to the RG Kar incident’.”

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They added: “This statement is completely untrue. The young patient, who suffered serious injuries from the accident, was transferred to R G Kar Medical College promptly at 9.10 am on the same day from Serampore. Doctors on duty immediately attended to him and provided ongoing care until his unfortunate passing at 12.30 pm, as documented in the provisional death certificate. Our medical records and the statement from the MSVP of RGKMCH will clearly back this up and prove your post incorrect.”

Countering the claim, they asserted, “The patient did not ‘bleed for 3 hours without receiving medical attention.’ Your statement lacks any truth and overlooks the tremendous effort made by our medical staff, who worked tirelessly to save his life.”

They further cautioned that such public statements are “not only false but also potentially harmful.” Misinformation like this, they said, “could incite anger and hostility towards the medical community, which is already reeling from the horrific attack on a trainee doctor at RGKMCH on August 9, 2024. Baseless accusations like these only add to the burden on our healthcare professionals, who continue to serve with dedication, even under difficult conditions.”

The letter concluded with a firm request for Mr Banerjee to issue a public apology and retract his statement.

“We expect you to set the record straight and take swift corrective action to avoid any further fallout,” they urged.