123 Bankura hospital workers drafted for poll duty, authorities flag care concerns

Kolkata: After Arambagh, now Bankura Sammilani Medical College & Hospital has become the latest to face a poll-duty crunch, with the Election Commission (EC) requisitioning 123 staff members for poll duty.

Those requisitioned include medical technologists and general duty attendants—key personnel in patient care. Unlike the Arambagh case, no doctors have been called up so far. However, hospital authorities warn that the loss of such a large workforce could disrupt services. Officials have sought a meeting with the Bankura district magistrate on Monday to find a way forward.





"While election has to be conducted for which manpower has to be deployed for poll duty, we also need to see that patient care services are not disrupted due to the absence of a sizable hospital workforce. We will be meeting the DM tomorrow to work on an amicable solution," said Arpan Goswami, MSVP, BSMC&H.

Of the 123 staff, 32 are medical technologists, including laboratory and OT technicians, while 55 are general duty attendants who assist doctors and patients in operation theatres, wards and emergency units. The list also includes several hospital karmabandhus responsible for maintaining cleanliness across wards and premises.

Health department sources said that while manpower requisition during elections is routine, it typically involves administrative staff such as clerks and accountants, rather than frontline hospital workers.