The family of a young girl who lost her right arm following treatment at a Sebaashray health camp in West Bengal filed a formal written complaint on Wednesday, 15 July with the Diamond Harbour Police District Superintendent, naming All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee — the camp's organiser — along with several others, in connection with alleged medical negligence leading to the amputation.

Background: A Family's Desperate Search for Help

The affected child, daughter of Kriti Manna, a resident of the Bishnupur police station area in South 24 Parganas district, was reportedly born with a rare and complex blood vessel disease. Her treatment began at birth and progressed through multiple hospitals in Kolkata, a visit to Vellore, and eventually came under the supervision of doctors at AIIMS Hospital, New Delhi from March 2024.

Financial constraints, however, became a critical obstacle. The family then approached Abhishek Banerjee, the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha MP, seeking monetary assistance to sustain the child's treatment at AIIMS. According to the family, instead of receiving financial support, they were redirected to the Sebaashray camp with assurances that the child would be treated there on Banerjee's instructions.

Alleged Negligence and the Amputation

The family alleges that their repeated attempts to contact Shantanu Sen and Ayan Ghosh Dastidar were met with indifference and reportedly misbehaviour. When they later met Abhishek Banerjee personally at a Sebaashray camp and again appealed for financial help, the child was referred to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, without adequate attention to her deteriorating condition.

As the child's health continued to worsen, the family took her to Delhi and Bengaluru for further evaluation. Doctors there, according to the family, were left with no option but to amputate the child's right arm from the shoulder in order to save her life. The family alleges that the delay and the alleged wrong treatment at the Sebaashray camp directly contributed to this outcome.

A Second Such Complaint Against the Same Camp

This is not the first allegation of medical harm linked to the Sebaashray health camp. A few days prior, the state health department had received a complaint from Malati Biswas, a resident of Maheshtala in South 24 Parganas, whose family had also filed an FIR against Abhishek Banerjee — in that case, over the alleged loss of a leg due to wrong treatment at the same camp. The pattern of complaints raises questions about the standard of medical care being provided at these events.

Notably, State Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee had spoken directly to that earlier affected family, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had reportedly contacted them by phone — underscoring the political weight the issue has acquired.

Additional Allegation: Unauthorised Use of Child's Photograph

The family has raised a further grievance, alleging that Abhishek Banerjee used the child's photograph without permission in advertisements published in 'Nirab Biplob', a newspaper that carries programmes related to his Lok Sabha constituency. This alleged use of a minor patient's image for promotional purposes adds a separate dimension to the complaint.

What Happens Next

The Diamond Harbour Police District Superintendent's office has received the written complaint, and an FIR has been filed against Abhishek Banerjee and several others. Whether the police proceed with a formal investigation — and how swiftly — will be closely watched, given the political profile of the accused. The Trinamool Congress is yet to issue a formal response to the latest complaint.