SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 22: Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA) and state Indian Medical Association (IMA) have condemned the brutal attack on the medical officer-in-charge of Narayanpur (Jamtara) community health centre (CHC) Dr Krishna Kumar Gupta over the death of two students from lightning and announced work boycott by government doctors in the district.
JHSA state secretary Dr Thakur Mritunjay Kumar Singh while expressing concern over the incident said that all government doctors in Jamtara district would stop health service (barring emergency if the attackers are not arrested in 24 hours.
On Wednesday evening, the family members, relatives and supporters in large numbers attacked Narayanpur CHC and beat up Dr Krishna Kumar Gupta with a lathi alleging medical negligence in attending to two lightning-hit students who succumbed to their injury on their way to Dhanbad for better treatment. Dr Gupta sustained a severe injury to his head and right hand.
“If Jamtara district administration failed to take swift action in the incident, JHSA would spread the agitation across the state,” warned the JHSA secretary.
Dr Thakur said that JHSA and IMA have been demanding the implementation of the Medical Protection Act (MPA) for a long time but the state government has left the doctors and hospitals at the mercy of unruly mobs. Dr Thakur said there was no medical negligence in the Jamtara incident.
IMA state president Dr AK Singh has also demanded immediate action against the culprits. “Such incident would not have happened had been government implemented MPA. But so far we have been getting assurance only,” he said.
Two students Nitesh Mandal (15) and Mantu Mandal (16) of Bhaiyadih village under Narayanpur police station were struck by lightning while going for tuition in the morning. They were admitted to Narayanpur CHC. After initial treatment, doctors referred them to Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH) Dhanbad for better treatment.
Narayanpur police station officer said both the students succumbed to their injuries on the way to Dhanbad.
In the evening, hundreds of villagers stormed CHC, sabotaged the chamber of the medical officer-in-charge Dr Gupta and beat him up badly. The unruly family members and their supporters created mayhem at CHC for over one hour.
SDO Sanjay Pandey, Circle Officer (CO) Pradeep Kumar, Inspector Manoj Kumar and Civil Surgeon Dr SK Mishra reached the CHC soon after getting the information and pacified the attackers out of the premises.
