People and patients up in arms in Santir Bazar over private practice of medicine specialist Dr Samrat Debbarma

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, May 18, 2026

Hundreds of patients today staged a demonstration against the medicine specialist doctor in Santir Bazar subdivisional hospital today in protest against his regular absence from duty and preoccupation with private practice. The matter is likely to be taken up with the sub-divisional medical officer (SDMO) as well as political authority for setting things right.

Sources from Santir Bazar said that this morning , the first day of the week, a large number of patients had queued up in front of the chamber of Dr Samrat Debbarma, the lone medicine specialist doctor in the hospital , waiting to consult him. But a long time had passed before a hospital sub-staff appeared before the queue and told the waiting patients that Dr Samrat Debbarma would not be available for consultation. This triggered a furore and the waiting patients flared up in anger, confronting the hospital staff saying that as government doctor his priority should be patients who come to hospital outdoor for consultation. Besides , venting their ire against the hospital authority and Dr Samrat Debbarma , the patients who had come to consult him said that they would take up the issue with the SDMO and the local MLA for redressal of their grievances .

Sources said that Dr Samrat Debbarma is always busy with private practice in his chamber and even while seeing patients in the hospital he advises them to consult him in his chamber where he exacts a fee of Rs 300.00 from every patient. This has now caught attention of the general people and patients and anger is rising . Unless the health department taken appropriate action there will be lot of turmoil and chaos in the hospital , sources added.

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