Tripura, 2nd August 2026: Unakoti district is currently represented by four ministers—Shantana Chakma, Sudhangshu Das, Tinku Roy, and the district’s Guardian Minister, Sushanta Chowdhury. Such political representation is undoubtedly significant for any district. However, despite this strong representation, public anger and frustration are steadily growing over the deteriorating state of healthcare services in the district.
Unakoti District Hospital is the only government healthcare facility serving several lakh people in the district. Yet the hospital is currently facing a severe shortage of specialist doctors. Every day, hundreds of patients visit the hospital seeking treatment, but many return disappointed without receiving the specialist care they require. Some are forced to wait for hours, while others have no choice but to travel to GB Pant Hospital in Agartala or private hospitals. This has raised a serious question: Can a district hospital continue to function under such conditions?
The most alarming situation is in the Department of Medicine. At present, none of the hospital’s three MD Medicine specialists—Dr. Purnakrit Debbarma, Dr. Rakesh Das, and Dr. Pritam Debnath—are available for duty. According to hospital sources, Dr. Purnakrit Debbarma and Dr. Rakesh Das are on medical leave, while Dr. Pritam Debnath is on leave to prepare for higher studies. As a result, patients suffering from heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disorders, liver diseases, and other serious illnesses are facing immense hardship. Even emergency patients are often unable to receive specialist consultation, forcing the hospital to refer many cases elsewhere.
The crisis is not confined to the Medicine Department. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is also experiencing an acute shortage of specialists. The department was being managed by Dr. Sumit Das and Dr. Sujit Das. However, hospital sources stated that Dr. Sumit Das has already submitted his resignation to the Health Department. Although no official announcement has been made so far, he is reportedly no longer attending the hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr. Shayantan Chowdhury, another Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialist, was recently transferred to GB Pant Hospital, Agartala. Consequently, the entire maternal healthcare service of the district is now virtually dependent on Dr. Sujit Das alone. Hospital sources claim that he has been providing services almost round the clock—an extremely demanding responsibility that is neither practical nor sustainable for a single doctor in the long term.
It has also been learned that Dr. Sanjay Das, a Medicine specialist from Dharmanagar District Hospital, was temporarily transferred to Unakoti District Hospital. However, he has yet to join his new posting. No official explanation has been provided for the delay, leading to growing questions among hospital staff and the general public. Residents are asking why the transfer order has not yet been implemented.
According to the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) issued by the Government of India, a district hospital must have an adequate number of specialist doctors in departments such as Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Anaesthesiology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, ENT, Radiology, Pathology, Psychiatry, and other key specialties, depending on the hospital’s bed strength and population coverage. District hospitals with 100 to 300 beds are expected to maintain multiple specialists in each major department and sufficient manpower to ensure 24-hour healthcare services. In particular, a shortage of specialists in Medicine and Gynaecology can seriously disrupt emergency and critical healthcare.
However, the present condition of Unakoti District Hospital falls far short of these standards. The failure to appoint replacement doctors after transfers, the absence of temporary arrangements for doctors on leave, and delays in filling vacant posts have pushed the hospital’s healthcare services into an increasingly critical situation. Ordinary patients are paying the highest price for these shortcomings.
This has led to a number of pressing questions. Why should the only district hospital in Unakoti continue to suffer from such a severe shortage of specialist doctors despite the district having four ministers? Why are replacement doctors not appointed before transfer orders take effect? Who will ultimately take responsibility for the condition of a district hospital that serves several lakh people?
Residents of Unakoti district have demanded the immediate recruitment of specialist doctors to all vacant posts, temporary replacement arrangements for doctors on leave, and the prompt posting of new specialists to replace those who have been transferred. Otherwise, concerned citizens, patients, and their families fear that the healthcare system at Unakoti District Hospital will slip into an even deeper crisis.
