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On Sayantan Chakraborty's birth anniversary, Sushmita Dev writes to MoH demanding cardiovascular surgeon at SMCH

Today, he would have turned 25. A playful boy, Sayantan Chakraborty who spent most part of his childhood playing cricket at Silchar DSA and actively participating in cultural activities, succumbed to a cardiac arrest last October. Silchar Medical College and Hospital could not facilitate angioplasty and he was referred to North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences in Shillong. He breathed his last on the way. Back then, he was employed at a firm in Kolkata and was in Silchar to celebrate Durga Puja with his family, that was his last Puja vacation.

Sayantan is not the only one to die on their way to either Shillong or Guwahati, there would be thousands and thousands of others. At the same time, there are thousands and thousands of twenty and thirty somethings who stand at risk of dying without adequate treatment. For the ones who are not there and for those who are at risk, a group “Thousand Sayantans” was formed and a movement started in Barak Valley demanding neurosurgeon and cardiologist in SMCH.

Several assurances is all that the movement has attained so far. SMCH is yet to appoint either. People continue to die on their way to Shillong and Guwahati. Many more Barak Valley residents fall short of celebrating their 25th birth anniversary with their friends and family.

On the occasion of Sayantan’s 25th birth anniversary, National President of Mahila Congress and former MP Sushmita Dev has written to Sameer Sinha, Principal Secretary Health Ministry, Government of Assam demanding appointments of Cardiologist & Neurologist in Silchar Medical College.

In her letter, she refers to a telephonic interaction with Sinha on July 8, 2020, when she had a conversation about expediting the process of ensuring that Silchar Medical College and Hospital get a cardiologist. “I appreciate the fact that you accepted the urgency of the matter in the greater public interest,” she writes mentioning about the earlier call.
He letter adds, “It was a great tragedy to lose a young person like Sayantan Chakraborty last October because of a lack of expertise to give an angioplasty. The people of the Barak Valley, specially Silchar started a movement to demand a cardiologist & neurosurgeon for Silchar Medical College. They were even assured of the same but till now the matter remains unresolved.”

She added, “Last March on the intervention of Padmashree awardee Dr. Ravi Kannan a cardiovascular surgeon Dr. P Gopal visited in March this year and agreed to serve in SMCH on certain terms and conditions and yet there has been no decision on the said proposal which has been sent to the Health Department of Assam.”

She concluded her letter by urging the Principal secretary to act immediately and pay respect to the lost soul on his birth anniversary. “Today is the Birth Anniversary of Sayantan and it would be a real tribute to him to approve the arrangement with Dr. P Gopal. He may not join full time in Silchar but to have him on a part-time basis is better than not having a cardiovascular surgeon at all. I join the people of the entire Barak Valley in this demand and wait anxiously to hear from you.”

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