BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 28th April 2025: The Unakoti District Hospital located in Bhagwan Nagar area of Kailashahar is facing severe criticism from patients and their families due to the prolonged absence of a pediatrician, leading to a shutdown of pediatric services.
For several weeks now, the pediatric ward remains locked, with no replacement appointed after the sole pediatrician was injured in an accident. Patients from across the district, desperate for treatment for their children, have been forced to return home empty-handed. Many have been visiting the hospital for four to five consecutive days without any success.
A hospital source confirmed, “Currently, there is no pediatrician available. The only doctor we had is bedridden after an accident. Despite repeated requests, no substitute has been provided.”
Expressing deep anger, a relative of a patient said, “We come here with so much hope, but are told every day that there is no doctor. What should we do with our sick children?”
Adding to the woes, residents recall better days when pediatrician Dr. Sharmista Sarkar was posted at the hospital. “When Dr. Sarkar was here, children’s services were regular and efficient. After her transfer, everything has gone downhill,” lamented another local resident.
The crisis is not limited to the pediatric ward. The CT scan facility at Unakoti District Hospital has reportedly been non-functional for a long time. Complaints about basic amenities are rampant, including a lack of access to clean drinking water. “The only water filter in the hospital has been lying broken for months, but the authorities are not concerned,” alleged a patient’s attendant.
As discontent continues to mount, the people of Unakoti district are now eagerly waiting for the higher authorities to step in and restore order. “How much longer do we have to suffer?” questioned a distraught father waiting outside the locked pediatric ward.
