Sixty-four-year old Nirapada Samanta has no time to spare as he attends one patient after another, at his two-storey clinic — ‘Chandimata Medical Hall and Chandimata Doctor’s Chambers’ — in Mohistikari of Haripal block in Hooghly district. In the adjacent room, dentist Sanjib Ghosh Mondol attends one of the patients, while three others wait for their turn.
Popularly known as ‘Nirapada Daktar’, Samanta is a B. Pharma while Mondol, a dentist at the clinic, has studied till Class 10 only.
As the doctors’ agitation continues in the state and with uncertainty at government medical colleges for the last 15 days, where the outpatient departments remain shut, patients have now started reaching out to quacks in rural Bengal. With charges ranging from Rs 100-150 per patient, apart from the cost of medicines, the quacks give treatment and medicines and refer to nursing homes those who are serious.
Samanta, who has been attending patients for the last 40 years, said, “I learnt things by closely monitoring MBBS doctors. Earlier, I used to see 20-25 patients daily at my clinic. Now, everyday there are 40-45 patients. Even the daily house calls have increased to 4-5 from 2-3.”
His clinic has a small waiting room, two consultation rooms with one bed and a chair, along with an attached pharmacy. “We are visited by all types of patients and we charge money for medicines and Rs 100 extra. In rural areas we are the ones who are the first line of treatment,” he said.
Mondol (68), who was the helper of a dentist in Tarakeshwar, in Hooghly district, now attends patients at Chandimata medical hall and doctor’s chamber on Fridays, while rest of the week he is busy at clinics in Hooghly and neighbouring Bardhaman district. “I may be a Class 10 pass, but have vast experience. I give all kinds of dental treatment here. Patients’ inflow has increased recently and you can see I have four in the waiting,” he said.
Another regular at ‘Nirapada daktar’, is 62-year-old Astu Malik, who says that the latter not only treated them but also paid house visits when in need. “Anandapur health centre is near to our village, but it has no doctor. So, we always depend on Nirapada daktar. During Covid, when almost all MBBS doctors locked themselves inside their house, he treated us. We have faith in him.”
“At Chandimata clinic, we not only get doctor’s treatment but also medicine, at minimum rate,” said Khatik Malik (65), who came to get medicine for fever.
About a kilometre away, in Boichipota of Singur block, Bishnupada Bera (54), attends patients at his clinic, which has a consultation room with a bed. “I have over 30 years of experience. There is a primary health centre nearby, but apart from deliveries nothing much happens there. People come to us,” said Bera, who is a BSc pass, but claimed he worked as a helper with a doctor and honed his skills there. “The place where I received training, the doctor taught me like his own son. I can give injections and saline, perform ECG, dialysis etc, as preliminary treatment,” he added.
“We never take any risk. If we think we can’t treat a patient, we refer them to a nursing home. We arrange to admit them in hospital,” he said.
Dealing with a skin problem, Robin Paramanik (43), from neighbouring Sastitala village, visited Bera’s clinic. “Fee is minimal here. Also, government doctors are on strike,” he said.
In Doshani village, about a kilometre away from Boichipota, is the clinic of 52-year-old Manik Pal. “After completing graduation in 1985, I entered this profession. First, I worked at a different place as an assistant of an MBBS doctor and after 10 years, I started my own chamber. I have been giving prescriptions for almost 30years,” said Pal, while sitting on a wooden tool, beside a bed and a rack stacked with a large number of medicines.
“From morning, I start my chamber at my residence, and attend at least 30 patients. Then around 11 am, I come here and see patients which again is at least 30. Apart from this, there is a house visit ranging from 8-10 every day,” he said.
Pal generally treats patients who complain of cold allergy, fever and diarrhoea. “But, I also treat dengue and other critical diseases. During Covid, I treated huge Covid patients as well,” he said.
Waiting for Manik at his clinic, Nibha Manna (48), said, “My right ankle was broken. After treatment, my foot is swollen. Manik ‘daktar’ is giving me medicine to treat inflammation and I am doing well now.”
Biswajit Sasmal, secretary of Rural Medicine Practitioner Association (local association) said, “We used to give 24X7 services the whole year. Whenever there is a crisis, we always try to fill in. It’s not new. We treated patients even during Covid. We also provided treatment to patients in 2019, when junior doctors went on a one month strike.”
Sasmal pointed out that there are almost two lakh rural medicine practitioners in West Bengal. “Out of which more than 20,000 doctors are members of our organisation and we already have given a circular that, during a crisis, we have and are investing more time into our profession.”
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