The Trinamool Congress on Monday floated a new platform for doctors and healthcare professionals, which is deemed as a move by chief minister Mamata Banerjee to take total control of the party's medical fraternity.

A perception existed in Trinamool that the party's medical associations didn't back the government during the peak of the RG Kar movement.

"Under the visionary leadership of our chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who brought a revolution to Bengal’s healthcare system, this association will act as a bridge between doctors, healthcare workers, and the government. It will also fight against any indiscipline, cessation of work, or strike in government hospitals or healthcare facilities," said industry minister Shashi Panja, herself a physician.

She is the president of the new outfit, the Progressive Health Association (PHA).

Many doctors and administrators from government-run hospitals and medical colleges, criticised for their role during the RG Kar movement, became part of the new platform.

After the junior doctor had been raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Calcutta on August 9, Mamata faced an unprecedented movement. Junior doctors went on a 42-day strike, which paralysed the state’s healthcare system. Mamata, the health and home minister of the state, was politically cornered, with demands for her resignation from doctors and various civil society groups.

It was evident that most of the ruling party representatives in the medical community remained silent during the crisis.

Many in the TMC, particularly those close to Mamata, believe there was an internal plan within the party — particularly in the doctors' wing — aimed at cornering the government during perhaps the toughest crisis in Mamata's 14 years in power.

Trinamool's face of medics, like former Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen — recognised as a follower of the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee — criticised the system, going against the TMC’s official stand.

A source said the recent death of a new mother because of the alleged use of "sub-standard" Ringer's lactate at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital also exposed how the TMC’s existing doctors' wing was incapable of defending the party and government.

On January 13, the party suspended Sen for "anti-party activities", ahead of the formation of the new medical platform. Sen subsequently lost his spot in the state medical council.

A source said that not only Sen, but also his entire team of doctors across Bengal, had in many ways sabotaged the party during the RG Kar episode, and were kept out of the new platform.

“Didi (Mamata) personally collected the names of doctors representing the new platform from each district and Calcutta, with inputs from her trusted sources. It has been ensured that none from Sen’s lobby is part of this new association,” said an executive committee member of the new association.

A section of Trinamool insiders believes that the formation of the new medical association carries the footprint of the recent cold war between Mamata and her nephew Abhishek.

Sen had become the flagbearer of TMC’s efforts to control the medical colleges and hospitals, replacing the so-called old guard in the party’s medical sector, such as Nirmal Maji.

Maji, known to be a fierce opponent of Sen, has been made the vice-president of the new outfit.

Abhishek too had conspicuously refrained from defending the party on the RG Kar issue, as he went on a short hiatus for medical treatment.

“The new platform for doctors and healthcare workers has established that Didi wants to take control of the party's medical organisation as well,” a source said.

Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek’s health outreach drive has triggered questions about whether the mega camps were being organised to show the state’s healthcare system in a bad light. Abhishek repeatedly rejected the narrative.

Asked about the future of the party-affiliated organisations of medical professionals, like the Progressive Service Doctors' Association, minister Panja said all of those would merge with the new platform.

A senior Trinamool leader pointed out that many party leaders, including MLAs and MPs who were previously associated with Abhishek, had already started shifting their allegiance to Mamata.

BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya said the platform was formed for organised looting and corruption in the healthcare system. "Now, there will be infighting among the doctors aligned with Trinamool. This would have happened even without the rift between Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee,” he said.

CPM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said: “The new platform of doctors under the leadership of minister Panja proves Mamata Banerjee has realised the system in her party has collapsed.”