Bengal govt eyes action against doctors at Abhishek Banerjee's Sebashray camps
Synopsis
West Bengal's Health Department has launched a formal probe into government doctors and medical students who attended Abhishek Banerjee's Sebashray health camps without official permission — and is now probing whether public ultrasonography machines were taken there without authorisation. The inquiry could result in disciplinary proceedings against senior doctors, while interns may be let off with a caution.
Key Takeaways
The West Bengal Health Department is considering disciplinary action against government doctors who attended Abhishek Banerjee's Sebashray health camps without prior approval.
A four-member probe committee is questioning doctors and will decide whether to initiate formal disciplinary proceedings.
Allegations include forcing medical interns and final-year students to attend the camps and the unauthorised removal of ultrasonography machines from state medical colleges.
The committee will question interns and students on whether their attendance was voluntary or under pressure.
Junior participants such as interns and students are likely to be spared harsh action but may receive a formal note of caution.
The West Bengal Health Department is considering disciplinary action against government doctors attached to state-run medical institutions who allegedly attended and treated patients at Sebashray health camps organised by All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee — without obtaining prior approval from competent authorities, sources said on 29 September 2026.
The development marks a significant escalation in scrutiny of the politically connected health initiative, with a formal probe now under way across multiple fronts.
Four-Member Probe Committee in Action
A four-member probe committee, constituted to investigate alleged irregularities at the Sebashray camps, has already begun questioning government doctors who attended the camps without prior authorisation from their reporting managers.
'Depending on the satisfactory level of their replies, the four-member probe committee will decide whether disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against them and what would be the nature of those proceedings,' a state health department source said.
The committee is specifically probing whether doctors sought permission from their reporting managers before attending the camps, and if so, from whom. Claims will reportedly be cross-verified directly with the relevant reporting authorities to establish authenticity.
Allegations of Forced Attendance and Misuse of Equipment
Beyond the question of unapproved participation, the probe committee is examining several other serious allegations linked to the Sebashray camps.
'One serious allegation is that medical interns and even final-year medical students from different medical colleges and hospitals in the state were forced to attend the Sebashray health camps,' a state health department official said. A second allegation involves the unauthorised removal and use of sophisticated medical equipment — including ultrasonography machines — from state-run medical colleges at these camps, according to the official.
The inquiry panel is expected to question medical interns and students directly on whether their attendance was voluntary or the result of pressure from higher authorities or, reportedly, political personalities.
Students and Interns May Be Spared Harsh Action
Despite the gravity of the allegations, health department officials indicated that the probe committee is not inclined to pursue harsh action against medical interns and students, given the potential impact on their future professional careers.
'They might be spared but only after a strong note of caution,' the official said, signalling that junior participants could escape formal disciplinary proceedings if the committee is satisfied with their accounts.
Background and Significance
The Sebashray camps were organised under the banner of Abhishek Banerjee, a prominent figure in the TMC and the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The use of government-employed medical personnel and public health infrastructure at what critics describe as a party-affiliated initiative has drawn attention to the boundary between state resources and political activity.
This comes amid broader scrutiny of political health camps in West Bengal, where the intersection of civic welfare outreach and electoral mobilisation has repeatedly generated controversy. The outcome of the probe committee's findings is expected to set a precedent for how the state regulates the deployment of public health resources at non-government events.
Point of View
But it also risks allowing the chain of pressure and command to escape full scrutiny. Who directed the mobilisation of public resources for a politically branded initiative is the question the probe must answer, and that answer is unlikely to be found only by questioning junior participants.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Sebashray health camps and who organised them?
The Sebashray health camps are health outreach programmes organised under the banner of TMC National General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee. The camps became controversial after allegations emerged that government doctors, interns, and state-owned medical equipment were deployed there without official authorisation.
Why is the West Bengal Health Department considering action against doctors?
The department is probing whether government doctors attended the Sebashray camps without obtaining prior permission from their reporting managers, which would violate service rules. A four-member committee has begun questioning these doctors and will determine whether formal disciplinary proceedings are warranted based on their responses.
What are the other irregularities being investigated?
Beyond unapproved attendance, the probe is examining two additional allegations: that medical interns and final-year students were compelled to attend the camps under pressure, and that sophisticated equipment including ultrasonography machines was taken from state-run medical colleges to the camps without authorisation.
Will medical interns and students face disciplinary action?
According to health department officials, the probe committee is not inclined to pursue harsh action against medical interns and students, citing potential damage to their professional careers. They are likely to be spared formal proceedings but may receive a strong note of caution.
What happens next in the probe?
The four-member committee will continue questioning doctors, interns, and students, and will cross-verify claims with relevant reporting authorities. Its findings will determine whether and what form of disciplinary action is initiated, and could set a precedent for how West Bengal regulates the use of public health resources at non-government events.
