'Those damaging hospital properties won't be spared'

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday came down heavily on those who cause damage to hospital properties. She said this while inaugurating a drinking water booster station at Harish Park on Friday afternoon.

Voicing concern over the growing tendency to ransack hospital properties for alleged mistreatment of near and dear ones, chief minister said that there would be zero tolerance for such vandalism.

It may be mentioned that the Assembly recently passed a bill where fines will be imposed on those who damage government or private properties. She said she would talk to the hospital authorities on February 22 for their smooth running. Her statement came in the wake of ransacking of CMRI by the relatives of a girl who died at the hospital because of alleged negligence on Wednesday.

Cautioning those who cause damage to hospital properties, Mamata Banerjee said " it takes a few minutes to destroy a hospital but it takes several months to procure costly machines that are installed for treatment of patients," she said adding " those who cause damage to hospital properties should understand that breaking equipment is no solution."

Banerjee said though beds in state run hospital had been increased to anything between 25,000 to 30,000 in the past five years but it was still not sufficient. " Patients admitted on the floors are receiving treatment and we will have to understand this. We have to understand the amount of pressure under which the doctors and para medical staff work. She said the medical services offered in the state run hospitals were the best and free.

She said 300 special new born care units have been constructed along with the construction of mother and child hub. There are projects like Subujshree, Yubashree and Khadya sathi which have helped people from all walks of life and economic strata. " We have revamped the entire infrastructure of hospitals in the state . In fact heart surgeries, MRI all have been made free."

After inaugurating the booster pumping station, Banerjee hit out at the BJP saying that it should manage its own house as "no one" had voted for it in the Punjab elections.

She also accused the Narendra Modi government of threatening her with a probe by the CBI as she raised her voice against demonetisation.

"BJP should manage its own house. In the just-concluded Punjab (Assembly) election, none has voted for the party.

Accusing the BJP of using money and muscle power apart from using central agencies to threaten others and pull down governments, Banerjee said the saffron party should mind its own business before trying to harm others.

Banerjee held the Modi government responsible for "destroying the economy of the country".

"They have destroyed the country's entire economy. What the country had achieved in all these years have been destroyed totally because of this (note ban)," she said.

"And now when I am talking against demonetisation they are threatening me with the CBI... You can set up 1000 CBIs against me but I will go on raising my voice for the people," she said.

Turning to the Congress, she said that it should look into its own mistakes and concentrate on Delhi before thinking about West Bengal.