After Kolkata, Tripura hospital refuses to treat Bangladesh patients
Two leading hospitals in India have decided to stop treating patients from Bangladesh. The decision comes after alleged incidents of disrespect to the Indian flag in Bangladesh. Kolkata's JN Ray Hospital was the first to announce the decision on Friday, with its director Subhranshu Bhakta saying, "The country is above all. Nothing can happen above the country."
ILS Hospitals in Agartala follows suit
Following JN Ray Hospital's footsteps, ILS Hospitals in Agartala also suspended its services to Bangladeshi nationals. An executive from the hospital expressed support for the decision, citing alleged mistreatment by Bangladeshi people. The hospital's chief operating officer, Gautam Hazarika, confirmed the closure of help desks at the Akhaura check post and ILS hospitals.
Tensions rise following bus incident in Bangladesh
The hospitals' decisions come amid rising tensions after an Indo-Bangla international passenger bus was involved in an incident in Bangladesh's Brahmanbaria district. The Tripura government alleged that the bus was attacked after it collided with a goods-carrying truck. Tripura Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that Indian passengers were threatened and anti-India slogans were raised.
Political unrest impacts medical tourism
The ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh has also affected medical tourism to India. A senior representative from Narayana Health observed a sharp decline in Bangladeshi patients owing to visa issues and political instability. "The numbers have gone down from 180-200 to 60. We apprehend more fall in these numbers in the coming weeks because of visa issues," the representative said, according to The Indian Express.
Arrests and violence amid ongoing tensions
In a related development, two Hindu priests were arrested in Bangladesh amid the ongoing tensions. ISKCON-Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das reported that they were arrested while returning from visiting detained Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. Meanwhile, nine individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam during violence in Chattogram related to Das's arrest.
