R.G. Kar Incident: New Trinamool-Linked Organization Established to Combat Misinformation Against Bengal Government
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Synopsis
The Progressive Health Association (PHA) has been launched in West Bengal to counter misinformation against the state government regarding its health sector. Led by Dr. Sashi Panja, this new body will include various medical professionals and aims to highlight the positive contributions made by the government.
Key Takeaways
- The PHA was created to counter negative propaganda against the Bengal government.
- Dr. Sashi Panja will lead the new association.
- The PHA will include diverse medical professionals.
- It aims to address both misinformation and medical negligence complaints.
- The first executive committee meeting is set for February 8.
Kolkata, Jan 27 (NationPress) The Progressive Health Association (PHA), a newly established body affiliated with the Trinamool Congress, was officially launched on Monday. This organization consists of members from various levels of the medical field in West Bengal and aims to address negative propaganda directed at the state government regarding its health sector, according to a senior cabinet official who will serve as its chairperson.
The proposed association will include representatives from both junior and senior doctors, nursing staff, and health workers.
During the announcement of the new body, Dr. Sashi Panja, the West Bengal minister overseeing Women and Child Development, Social Welfare, and Industry and Commerce, emphasized that following recent protests related to the tragic R.G. Kar rape and murder incident, attempts were made to intentionally spread false information about the state government under the guise of protests.
She highlighted the need for a robust counterorganization to effectively address such misleading narratives.
“There have been efforts to tarnish the commendable work accomplished by the state government in the health sector. We now aim to prevent similar occurrences in the future and to counteract false narratives by showcasing the genuine contributions of the government towards enhancing the state’s health sector. This is the primary motivation behind the establishment of the new body,” stated Panja, who is also a medical professional.
Health worker and doctor associations linked to the Trinamool Congress will be integrated into PHA.
Panja further noted that in addition to combating negative propaganda against the state government’s health sector, the new organization will also seek to address complaints regarding medical negligence within the state.
The inaugural meeting of PHA's executive committee is scheduled for February 8. Since the announcement of the new Trinamool-affiliated body became public last week, questions have arisen regarding the rationale for creating this new platform, given the existence of the Progressive Doctors’ Association.
Recently, internal conflicts within the Trinamool Congress, particularly among its medical professionals, have become increasingly evident in the wake of the R.G. Kar incident.
Notably, Dr. Santanu Sen, a prominent party leader and former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member, who had been vocally critical of the party concerning the R.G. Kar incident, has been suspended from the party and dismissed from his role as the state government representative on the West Bengal Medical Council.
Sen, who is also a medical practitioner, was previously removed from his position as the party’s state spokesperson.
Since the emergence of the R.G. Kar incident, Sen has been outspoken within the party, particularly criticizing the former principal of the institute, Sandip Ghosh.
Strained relations between Sen and the Trinamool Congress leadership have been apparent since that time. A conflict also arose between Sen and Trinamool Congress legislator and council president Sudipto Roy, who is a medical practitioner, following the ED's raid on Roy's office and nursing home due to financial irregularities linked to R.G. Kar.
