SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, May 19: Senior surgeon Dr Samir Kumar, who had deserted the district with his family after receiving a Rs 1 crore extortion demand, returned to the coal city and opened his clinic on Thursday after receiving security assurance from the Dhanbad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).
Dr Samir had shut down his clinic based at Matkuria road under Bank More police station on May 3 and left Dhanbad with family after a criminal demanded extortion money in the name of dreaded extortionist Aman Singh. He also threatened to eliminate Dr Samir if he failed to pay the money.
The desertion of a doctor from Jharkhand due to extortion demand, the first of its kind in the state, had become a national issue. Indian Medical Association (IMA) national president Dr Sahajanand Prasad Singh and secretary general Dr Jayesh Lele wrote to Jharkhand Governor for protecting medicos in the state so that the exodus could stop.
Apart from that, the Dhanbad chapter of IMA had observed 24 hours OPD service strike on May 9 in protest of the exodus of a senior surgeon of the district.
“SSP has provided me complete security cover and assured to increase it more after completion of Panchayat polls in district. So, I have returned to Dhanbad and opened the clinic for service of patients,” said Dr Samir Kumar who arrived here on Wednesday evening and met IMA members and senior police officials of the district.
Dr Samir said he feels good after arriving at Dhanbad and is satisfied with the security cover provided to him. “I have not received any call from criminals since May 3,” he said.
Meanwhile, the district police restored the confidence of doctors by sending Aman Singh to Dumka Central Jail from Dhanbad and arresting his five contract criminals involved in the different crime incidents.
IMA state secretary Dr Pradip Kumar Singh hailed the return of Dr Samir Kumar to Dhanbad and said that the agitation for a fearless environment for doctors of Jharkhand would continue. “Since doctors are being attacked daily in the state, the IMA would continue its demand for implementation of Medical Protection Act (MPA) and additional security cover for medicos and private health centres,” he said.
