Mamata suffers injury on her forehead; discharged after treatment

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday evening suffered an injury on her forehead and had to be admitted to hospital for a few hours, the Trinamool Congress said.

Director of the state-run SSKM hospital, Manimoy Bandyopadhyay, said the chief minister was brought to the facility with a "history of fall within the vicinity of her home due to some push from behind".

After undergoing stitches and medical tests at the hospital, the TMC supremo was deemed stable and discharged, subsequently returning home.

The 69-year-old leader had a fall inside her Kalighat home in south Kolkata after she returned from a programme, her family said.

"She fell somewhere inside the home and was immediately shifted to the hospital. She was bleeding from the forehead and stitches were required," her brother Kartik Banerjee told a Bengali news channel.

"She had a cerebral concussion and had a sharp cut on her forehead and nose which was bleeding profusely. Initially, she was assessed by senior doctors of the neurosurgery, medicine, and cardiology departments of our institute and her vitals were stabilised. Three stitches were applied on her forehead, and one on her nose and the required dressing was done. Investigations like ECG, echocardiogram, CT-Scan, and Doppler were done," he said.

Bandopadhyay said the chief minister was advised to remain at the hospital for observation but she preferred to go home.

"She will continue to be under close watch and treatment. She will again be assessed tomorrow and subsequent treatment will be decided accordingly," he said.

The TMC in the evening posted pictures of Banerjee bleeding from her forehead.

"Our chairperson @MamataOfficial sustained a major injury. Please keep her in your prayers," the party posted on X.

TMC national general secretary and Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee got her admitted to the hospital, according to party sources.

According to sources, she was admitted to the Woodburn Ward of the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, from where she was discharged later.

A number of prominent personalities expressed shock at the mishap.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Banerjee a quick recovery. "I pray for a quick recovery and the best health for Mamata Didi," he wrote on X.

According to senior TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar enquired about the chief minister's health condition and expressed "deep anguish and wished for her speedy recovery." Dhankhar is a former West Bengal governor.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose went to the SSKM Hospital to visit Banerjee.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal wished her a speedy recovery.

"Shocked and deeply concerned.... My thoughts are with her during this difficult time," Stalin said in a post on X.

Sharing the post of TMC with Banerjee's photographs, Kejriwal said on X, "Shocked to see this. Pray for ur speedy recovery Didi. God bless u."

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also took to X to say, "Deeply concerned to know that West Bengal Chief Minister @MamataOfficial suffered injury after meeting with an accident. Praying for her speedy recovery."

State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar wished her a speedy recovery. "Our prayers are with her for a quick return to good health," he posted on X.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Bengal CPI(M) secretary Md Salim also wished her a quick recovery.

There was no confirmation if there was any police complaint regarding Banerjee's fall. Calls to Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal, who was also there at the SSKM, went unanswered.

NATIONAL KOLKATA