Kolkata, Dec 10 (IANS) Kolkata residents hit the streets Saturday, protesting the 'callousness' of the AMRI Hospital through silent marches and tearfully remembering with bouquets and lighted candles the 90 patients and staff who were suffocated to death in a fire in the high-cost medicare facility.
Hundreds of people - comprising doctors, nurses, healthcare staff, school and college children, social activists and other professionals - walked silently hand in hand carrying aloft posters and banners with black borders from Golpark to the ill-fated hospital about half a km away.
'Aar noi, AMRI-r moto PPP Model hospital (No more PPP model hospital like AMRI)', 'They give us life for their own interest, they took our lives for the same interest, now it is your choice' - said some of the posters and banners.
As the procession moved, more and more people joined. And by the time it ended near the hospital, the number of marchers had swelled to nearly 1,500.
The march was brought out by various organisations, including Hospital Janaswasthya Rakkha Committee, Kolkata Janaswasthya Rakkha Sanghathan and Medical Service Centre.
A large number of people visited the hospital. Though they were stopped by the police, who raised barricades around the hospital, the people lit candles and left bouquets and garlands to pay respect to the departed.
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