DHENKANAL: A day after a doctor in the district headquarters hospital (DHH) was assaulted by angry locals over a patient’s death, fellow doctors and medical staff staged a demonstration and demanded arrest of those involved in the attack within 24 hours failing which they will resort to an indefinite strike.
Medical services in the hospital were disrupted for several hours due to the dharna of the doctors.Police on Monday evening arrested one Bikram Singh (28) in connection with the attack. Dr Tusharkant Rath had been attacked on Sunday after he declared a patient brought dead in the hospital. Violence erupted as the mob attacked and abused the doctor apart from vandalising hospital property. Following the incident, Dr Rath had filed a complaint with the Town Police.
The strike was postponed after chief district medical and public health officer Dr Sujatarani Mishra intervened and urged the district administration to act on the doctors’ demand to book the accused under National Security Act and provide security coverage and adequate protection measures to them.