Friday, August 25 2006 17:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: One of the largest patients' body in India has asked the West Bengal Government to take immediate measures to ensure that hospital services are not affected by anti-quota agitation by the medicos.

People for Better Treatment (PBT), the patients' body set up by Ohio-based India born AIDS researcher Kunal Saha, in a letter to West Bengal Health Minister Suryakanta Misra said, "In view of the renewed agitation, we urge you to take immediate and appropriate action to make sure that hospital services in the state are not disrupted and the hapless patients are not forced to pay the price once again for this political battle between the government and the medical fraternity."

"There is no denying that the government has a moral duty to ascertain that the fundamental right of all citizens to access affordable healthcare is not jeopardised under any circumstances," said Saha in the letter.

"While we cannot support the politically motivated decision of the central government to increase the 'quota' for other backward classes in medical colleges, we strongly protest the disruptive actions by the doctors in West Bengal to express their grievances," he said.

"Doctors have no right to hamper regular services in the hospitals and hold defenceless patients to ransom to satisfy their personal feud with the government," he said.

The agitating medical students in Bengal Friday resorted to boycott of examinations and outdoor services in the two premier medical colleges of the state to protest baton charge on the students yesterday (Aug 24, 2006) who had taken out an anti-quota procession.