State government readies hospital for Mamata

Kolkata, Dec 11 (UNI) With Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee's fast entering the eighth day today, the state health department has asked the SSKM Hospital to keep at hand an emergency team following her deteriorating health.

SSKM Superintendent Ashoke Ghosh told UNI, "After receiving instructions from the state government, the hospital authorities have arranged two rooms (20 and 21) at the Woodburn ward of the hospital for her." " Yesterday was a Sunday, but we had done everything in our capacity. An ambulance had also been kept ready," he said and added that he had personally made rounds of the wards in the evenings.

Cardiothoracic deparatment head U N Sarkar visited Mamata Banerjee on Sunday night, but the party leaders did not allow him to either meet or examine her.

The measures have supposedly been taken upon instructions of health minister Suryakanta Mishra. The medical team will consist of teaching doctors of cardiothoracic, cardiology and medicine departments. An anesthesist and an ECG technician are also a part of the team.

Mamata Banerjee has been on a hunger strike from December four protesting the handing over of farmland to the Tatas. Earlier, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had written a letter to her asking her to sit for a dialogue and end her fast.

Veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, Left Front State Secretary Biman Basu and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee have asked her to end her fast.

Mamata Banerjee has infact organsied a mass demonstration at the fasting site in continuation of her protest.

UNI KDG-BA KK RD 1608