Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : The doctors of Sadar Hospital, Ara, headquarters of Bhojpur district, will abstain from duty from November 20, 2018, evening, in protest against thrashing of three doctors allegedly at the behest of Bhojpur District Magistrate Sanjeev Kumar. This follows a decision taken by Bihar Health Service Association (BHSA) and Indian Medical Association (IMA), Ara branch, on November 20 evening. The doctors also staged demonstration outside the office of the Superintendent, Sadar Hospital, Ara.
Bhojpur DM Sanjeev Kumar, with a view to streamlining health service at the Sadar Hospital and also ensuring presence of doctors on time at the hospital, had convened a meeting of doctors of Ara Sadar Hospital through video conferencing on November 20 to direct them doctors to mark their attendance through biometric system. Dr T A Ansari was on emergency duty and so could not attend the video conference of the DM that infuriated him.
The DM sent his two body guards to the Sadar Hospital for the custody of Dr T A Ansari. The body guards caught Dr T A Ansari by arms and took him to the residence of the DM. Hearing the news of his custody, President, BHSA, Dr Naresh Prasad, and Secretary, BHSA, Dr Arun reached there and queried about the incident. The guards thrashed all the three doctors allegedly at the behest of the DM.
Dr T A Ansari, Dr Naresh, and Dr Arun said that they failed to understand the dictatorial behaviour of the DM and decided to paralyse the OPD and emergency services at the Sadar Hospital from November 20 evening till November 22. They added that private clinics at Ara would remain closed on November 20.
Meanwhile, a woman and a newborn child died at the Sadar Hospital for want of treatment as the doctors boycotted their duty in protest against thrashing of their three colleagues by the guards of Bhojpur DM. The DM said that an FIR would be lodged against the doctors on duty holding them responsible for the death of woman and the newborn child.
SDO, Ara, Arun Prakash, ASP (Operations) Nitin Kumar, SDPO Pankaj Kumar holding a meeting with the doctors at the Sadar Hospital to resolve the matter but no decision was taken till the filling of this report.