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CM reminds Apollo how to treat patients

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday directed the Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals managing director Preetha Reddy to ensure affordable, accessible and best quality treatment. This comes after a series of allegations of medical negligence against private hospitals had cropped up, including that of the death of Sanjoy Roy for which Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals "was responsible".

It may be mentioned that besides introducing the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) law, Banerjee had repeatedly directed all private hospitals to check practices like overcharging of patients and harassing their family members. Thus, her direction to Reddy on Monday is considered to be another message to all the private clinical establishments in the state.

Reddy had sought for a meeting with the Chief Minister after repeated allegations of medical negligence against her hospital had started cropping up to give her assurance that the hospital would function properly from now on by making all necessary corrections. After the meeting in the state secretariat Nabanna, Reddy said, "The Chief Minister has directed to ensure affordable, accessible and best quality treatment in the hospital. She has also given us many suggestions to ensure highest care for patients. Following the directions of the Chief Minister, if needed we are happy to do any sort of corrections."

Banerjee has pointed out many facts where the hospital need to work out to provide better treatment and the hospital authorities have to work out on all those factors. "For example some areas like emergency section, where more level of care is needed," said Reddy after accepting the fact that in the past one or one and a half month the level of care in the hospital in Kolkata "was not as it used to be".

It may be recalled that among all private hospitals in the state, Apollo Gleneagles was pulled up in the February 22 meeting headed by the Chief Minister in Town Hall for maximum number medical negligence cases. With introduction of the new law to ensure better treatment in private hospitals and nursing homes, West Bengal Clinical Establishments Regulatory Commission has been formed.
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