After the announcement of dates for the Lok Sabha (Assembly by-election at a few), government doctors in West Bengal await a harrowing time for two months in the scorching summer as many of them are on duty during VVIP political leaders’ election rallies across districts.

The reason: Government doctors in the rank of medical officers, assistant professors and associate professors, associated with state-run medical colleges and hospitals, allegedly do not get minimum refreshments like water, snacks etc and even small waiting rooms while they are deputed at different venues of big political rallies particularly during elections.

Usually, every district health administration sends ambulances and medical teams comprising doctors and technicians when VVIP leaders like the Prime Minister, Union home minister, chief minister, opposition leader in the parliament and others belonging to Z-plus category attend political programmes in the districts.

In Kolkata too, state-run medical colleges send ambulances and medical teams when such political programmes of VVIP leaders are held.

In many events, Dr Manas Gumta, secretary of the Association of Health Service Doctors (AHSD), alleged that members of the medical teams do not get minimum respect and dignity when they are deputed in such programmes. Doctors spend the entire period of about four to five hours, on an average, inside their ambulances without water and snacks.

The situation becomes harrowing when the medical teams go to the rally grounds in remote districts and spend hours inside non-AC ambulances in the heat, Dr Gumta said, adding, “Sometimes doctors are also being deputed in small political programmes and family programmes of political leaders.”

Earlier in December 2023, allegedly there had been a controversy when an army of government doctors attached with state-run healthcare facilities in north Bengal were given duty for seven days during the wedding ceremony of the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee’s family in Kurseong. The doctors were allegedly not given proper accommodations and food for the first few days of the event.

Medical teams, comprising doctors of different government hospitals and medical colleges were also provided in every district during 56-day-long ‘Nabo Jowar’ jatra of Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of the Trinamul Congress, from Cooch Behar to Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas in 2023.

“We have submitted a memorandum to N S Nigam, principal secretary of health department, and a special secretary, on Tuesday briefing them about the plights of government doctors when they are asked to go on duty in political rallies and meetings of top leaders belonging to the Z-plus security category. Mr Nigam has assured us to look into our issue so that doctors can get minimum respect,” Dr Gumta said.

“We have requested them to publish a white paper giving guidelines on distribution and deployment of medical teams, considering security coverage criteria of the political leaders,” he said.

A senior health department official attached to a medical college hospital said doctors are not given proper arrangements like minimum refreshments and at least a room when they go on VVIP programmes. It also happens in Kolkata.

Doctors are not even given a minimum space to wait when VVIPs come and stay in a city hotel.

They either stay inside their ambulances or hang around the hotel till the VVIPs leave, said a source.