Medicare services paralysed in Bhojpur

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Ara : Medicare services in Bhojpur district came to a standstill completely on November 22, 2018, as the protesting doctors abstained from Out Patient Department (OPD) and emergency work at all the hospitals including Sadar Hospital, Ara, and even the private doctors closed their clinics in the district showing solidarity with the government doctors. The medical fraternity is fretting over Bhojpur District Magistrate Sanjeev Kumar’s alleged highhandedness against three doctors.

The doctors paralysed OPD, emergency work, and even the private clinics across the Bhojpur district to protest misbehaviour with the three doctors of Ara Sadar Hospital : Dr T A Ansari, Dr Naresh, Secretary, and Dr Arun, President, Bihar Health Service Association (BHSA), Bhojpur unit, by the security guards allegedly at the behest of Bhojpur DM Sanjeev Kumar.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and BHSA, Bhojpur unit, held a meeting and decided to continue their agitation till the transfer of the Bhojpur DM, institution of criminal case against him, constitution of medical board to assess his mental health and replacing DMs with Civil Surgeons as chairpersons of the District Health Committee. They said that the government is wholly responsible if any patient suffers due to impasse.

With a view to streamlining of medicare system and ensuring presence of doctors on their place of duty, Bhojpur DM Sanjeev Kumar, through video conference, had recently asked the doctors to mark their attendance with biometric system and confirm their presence at places of posting. On November 20, 2018, evening, the DM had asked the doctors to attend his video conference at the Sadar Hospital. All except Dr T A Ansari attended the video conference of the DM.

Dr T A Ansari later clarified that he could not attend the DM’s video conference as he was on emergency duty attending patients. But absence of Dr T A Ansari infuriated the DM and he allegedly sent his two bodyguards to bring Dr T A Ansari to his residence the same day in the evening. BHSA office bearers Dr Naresh and Dr Arun rushed there but the bodyguards allegedly manhandled all the three doctors.

Dr T A Ansari said that finding him absent during the video conferencing, the DM called and rebuked him on phone and later sent his body guards who caught him by arms and took him to DM’s residence where they abused and assaulted him and other two doctors who had accompanied him.

On the other hand, Bhojpur DM refuted all the charges describing as saying them baseless and added that doctors were called for a review meeting but they refused to turn up. He stated when guards went to request them for attending the meeting, the doctors did not respond. He said that he had video footages of the entire development and the doctors would be proved wrong. The DM further said that alternative arrangements have been made with Ayush doctors and they have deputed at emergency work at the Sadar Hospital. The DM said video conferencing system would continue as it is in the interest of patients.

Civil Surgeon, Ara Sadar Hospital, Dr. Jagdish Singh said that though OPD and emergency ward were paralysed due to strike by the doctors for two days but on November 22 morning emergency ward started working smoothly after deputation of Ayush doctors. District Public Relation Officer (DPRO) Pramod Kumar described the strike as illegal.

Dr Naresh said that the DM added fuel to the fire by saying that he served show cause noticeon two doctors asking them as to how they reached his residence and also lodged FIR against some doctors under section 107 IPC.