Locals protested against the poor infrastructure of the hospital and demanded compensation for the family members of those who died in the accident and also for the critically injured persons.

State Food Processing Industries & Horticulture Minister Mohanta Chatterjee, who reached about half an hour after Kundu, also had to face public fury.

Later, Kundu said: “We will urge the state government to take necessary steps to improve the infrastructure of the hospital and I assure you that the government will provide compensation.”

Relatives of those persons who are still under treatment in the hospital alleged that about five of the deceased succumbed due to sheer negligence of the hospital staff. Even the superintendent of the hospital reached an hour late, they complained.

Moreover, there are only two surgeons in the hospital and yesterday evening only one of them was present in the hospital. Due to this, most of the injured persons were lying unattended outside the emergency ward.

Tapas Samadar, a relative of an injured, said there was only one ambulance in the hospital and even that was not available last night. They had to arrange for ambulances from neighbouring private nursing homes.

The victims’ relatives also demanded that the state government set up a trauma centre in any of the hospitals near NH-6. About 70 people are still undergoing treatment in different hospitals, including Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, Uluberia Rural hospital and Howrah State General Hospital.

Mamata seeks Rs 5 lakh compensation
Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today lambasted the state government for its alleged inaction after the bus accident which claimed 23 lives.

She demanded a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for each of the deceased’s families.

Banerjee, who along with Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy and Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed, visited the Uluberia hospital last night, said that hospitals in the state have become a “living hell” for the survivors.

“Such a big accident occurred but the state government was inactive from the beginning. After the accident took place it was the locals who rescued the victims and took them to the hospitals. Since last evening the state government did nothing for the family of the deceased nor anything for those who were injured,” said Banerjee at her residence in Kalighat before leaving for Delhi.

She said that government has announced Rs 10,000 for the victims’ families, which is too meager an amount. “During a recent railway accident in Uttar Pradesh it was not only us who gave compensation, but also the state government. Here the state government remains aloof,” she said.

She alleged that “there were no doctors to attend to those who were taken to Uluberia hospital. One of the victims who was sent to SSKM hospital was asked to pay for a scan. Can you imagine, instead of treating him the hospital is asking for money from the poor person who cannot pay.”