A signature campaign has started on social media seeking improvement in medical facilities in south Assam’s Barak Valley following the death of a local youth allegedly because of non-availability of essential services at Silchar Medical College and Hospital.

A relative of the 25-year-old youth, Sayantan Chakraborty, Saumitra Shankar Choudhury, told The Telegraph over phone on Thursday that Sayantan, who worked in Calcutta had come home for Durga Puja.

He was the son of businessman Santu Chakraborty and homemaker Mala Chakraborty and resided at Park Road here.

Sayantan complained of chest pain on Tuesday and was taken to Mediland Hospital, where it was diagnosed that he had suffered a heart attack.

After the Mediland staff said his treatment could not be conducted there, he was shifted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH).

At SMCH, he was re-examined and doctors said angioplasty needed to be done but the facilities were not available, Choudhury said.

He said after learning Sayantan could not be treated there, they started for North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences in Shillong in the afternoon but he passed away on the way to hospital. His last rites were performed here on Wednesday.

Choudhury has written to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal stressing on infrastructure upgrade at SMCH and establishment of a super-speciality hospital here.

He also spoke to local BJP leaders to take up the matter with the authorities so that such incidents could be avoided.

Biswajit Paul, proprietor of a doctor booking portal Quickobook.com, who started the signature campaign on Wednesday night, said Sayantan’s death was not the first case.

“The scenario must change so that such incidents don’t recur,” he said.

The campaign, which has gathered over 3,000 signatures, pushes for improved infrastructure and better facilities in hospitals here. “We will soon approach political leaders here so that the issue comes to the notice of health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and action is taken,” Paul said.

Many users also took to social media following Sayantan’s death and criticised the alleged lack of proper medical facilities in Silchar as well as in rest of Barak Valley.

Abhratanu Paul, a schoolmate of Sayantan, said SMCH, the biggest hospital in the region, must have a minimal level of facilities. “It is absolutely unacceptable that one has to go to another state for angioplasty, which is not even a surgical procedure,” he said.

On being contacted, SMCH principal Babul Bezbaruah declined to comment on the matter.

SMCH superintendent Abhijit Swami was not available for comment.