Scent of a hilsa: Monsoon is celebration time for gastronomic reasons

The incident of a patient committing suicide by hanging himself in the toilet of SSKM Hospital is most shocking (Patient hangs himself in hospital, June 22). It is further surprising that he managed to carry a stool to the toilet without anyone’s knowledge. Just a couple of days earlier, we read about a patient who went missing from Medical College and Hospital. The authorities had shrugged off responsibility. But a patient being able to hang himself inside the hospital points at the total failure of the security system.

There are allegations galore about lack of proper management in government hospitals. We hear of patients being refused admission or denied timely treatment. But what happens when there is no security of patients when they are left on the hospital premises? How can people have faith in hospitals and trust them with the well-being of their family members?

Without enforcement of strict discipline, no institution can run systematically. The only way out is for the government to take prompt action. A strict code of conduct, mandatory for everyone in hospitals to follow, should be laid down. Trip-ups resulting from infrastructural lag or paucity of funds are understandable. But callousness in spite of the availability of sufficient manpower cannot be excused. To save the state’s healthcare system from total degeneration, loopholes should be plugged at the earliest.

Dinabandhu Mukherjee,
Behala

It is a welcome forecast that hilsa will be available at lower prices (Rains raise hope of hilsa glut, June 22). It seems controlling factors in the state are congenial this year for a good hilsa haul. Let us keep our fingers crossed for a delicious season.

Debaprasad Mukherjee,
Nayapatty Road

Hilsa is a Bengali favourite. Kudos for highlighting the supply trends of the fish in the market. An increasing supply should bring the prices down. The fisheries department must put in extra effort for a better haul of hilsa so that even the poor can afford it.

Bhupen Bose,
Dum Dum Park

Placement plans

The report ‘Shift signal in civic corridors’, June 16, was informative. The innovative idea of an office for customer-related work on the ground floor, with the beautification of the Town Hall courtyard is praiseworthy. If the printing press is shifted to the basement, there will be plenty of space in the main building for further IT modernisation.

Chandan Ray,
Sarsuna

Apropos the report ‘Wed and split 22 times’, June 24, Calcutta High Court has rightly ordered the CID to investigate the matter. The judiciary system needs to be alert about fake single women making off with alimony and one-time monetary settlements in cases of divorce by mutual consent.

Govinda Bakshi,
Budge Budge

It is great when movies follow real life (Wounded, but raring to fight, June 23). The circumstances which forced Seema Parihar to become a bandit and the reality of what followed will make for an entertaining movie. The director deserves praise for choosing Seema to mirror reality in his film.

Abhijit Chakraborty,
Howrah

Apropos the report ‘By kids who work while others play’, June 16, kudos to the non-governmental organisation for giving unfortunate children a fresh lease of life. The government should work harder towards rescuing child labourers who are exploited for hours at a stretch without adequate nutrition and rest.

Anil Kumar Sen,
Ram Chandra Chatterjee Lane

Many complaints have been brought against the correctional home (Report propels rights panel to Liluah home, June 17). But there has been no improvement in the situation as the government seems nonchalant about tackling the problems.

Sachindra Nath Mitra,
Beleghata

Apropos the report ‘Dacoity rerun in trade hub’(June 17), it is perplexing that there has been a spurt in cases of dacoity in and around the city. Our law-enforcing agencies should curb the alarming phenomenon at the earliest.

Prahlad Agarwala,
Nadia

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