Munger doctors on dharna to protest police inaction

MUNGER: Members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Munger chapter, on Friday sat on an indefinite dharna in front of the office of the district magistrate here to protest the alleged inaction of police in a case of attack on a private nursing home, paralysing health care services.
General secretary IMA, Munger chapter, Dr Sanjeev Kumar said doctors of private clinics besides medical officers of the sadar hospital did not attend their duties on Friday.As a result, around 50 private clinics,12 nursing homes, 30 pathological centres and four physiotherapy centres remained closed throughout the day.
Dr Sanjeev said the IMA had to take this step following an attack on a private nursing home by an irate mob. The mob ransacked the private nursing home, located in Rampur Bhikhari under Kotwali police station on July 30. Doctors and para-medical staff of the nursing home ran helter and skelter to save their lives.
Narrating the reason behind the incident, the IMA secretary said one Ashok Roy alias Gopal Kumar, about 40, was electrocuted while on his way home from the nursing home on July 25 when he came in contact with a live wire on the road.
Ashok was rushed to the nursing home where he was provided immediate treatment, but on the advise of senior doctors, he was rushed to Patna, where he was admitted to a private hospital.
On the advice of the doctors in Patna, both his legs were amputed to save his life. Four days later, his parents brought him back to Munger and admitted him in the same hospital. However, Ashok died on July 29 as both his legs developed gangrene. As the news of his death spread next morning, a mob attacked the nursing home on Thursday.
Police have lodged two FIRs in this connection. On the statement of Dr BB Bose, chief medical officer of nursing home, police have lodged an FIR against more than 100 unknown persons, while on the statement of Ashok Roy’s son, police lodged an FIR against the authorities of the South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd, posted in Munger.
A delegation of the IMA met the district magistrate and urged the district administration to arrest the persons who vandalized the nursing home and provide security to the doctors and nursing homes located in the divisional headquarters. The IMA secretary said, the dharna will continue till their demands are fulfilled.