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Tag: Assam doctor assault

  • Two more arrested in doctor’s assault case in COVID hospital in Assam’s Hajoi district

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Two more persons, including a woman, were arrested on Saturday for being allegedly involved in the assault of a doctor at a COVID Care Centre in Assam’s Hojai district, taking the total number of arrests to 28 so far, police said.

    Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during the day also met the assaulted doctor, to enquire about his health and later held discussion with a delegation of the Assam state branch of Indian Medical Association on several issues of doctors welfare, particularly the security of on-duty doctors.

    Back-to-back incidents of attack on doctors engaged in treatment of COVID patients in Hailakandi and Hajoi districts of Assam had hit the national headlines.

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognisance of the June one incident in Hajoi and has sought an action-taken report from the state government within four weeks.

    The police had launched a massive search operation after a video of the doctor being assaulted in a medical facility in Hajoi by a mob had gone viral on social media and subsequently arrested 24 people while two others were absconding.

    The police nabbed the duo, identified as Mukhtar Ali and Gurnehar Begum from Greater Udali area.

    Besides the doctor, a nurse was also injured in the attack though she managed to hide in the toilet and was later shifted to Nagaon Civil Hospital for treatment.

    Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) G P Singh said that altogether 28 persons have been arrested in the Hojai doctor assault case and efforts are on to submit the chargesheet within the mandated period.

    Appropriate sections of Epidemic Diseases Act, as amended in 2020 have been added to the case, Singh said.

    Two persons have aalready been arrested in the Hailakandi assault case on May 27.

    Meanwhile, the chief minister Saturday visited Medical Officer Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital to know his health condition.

    He also interacted with the doctors family members and assured him that he would be posted in any government health institution of his choice after he resumes duty.

    Dr Senapati was attacked by a mob while on duty at Udali COVID Care Centre in Hojai on June one.

    The chief minister said that the state government stands strongly with Senapati and all the doctors who are serving with dedication in the time of pandemic.

    Doctors, paramedics and all medical workers have set an example of dedication and commitment through their tireless service in the fight against COVID-19 and they must be shown the respect they deserve, he asserted.

    Sarma warned that strict action would be taken as per law against perpetrators and those who attack doctors and medical staffs would not be spared.

    A delegation of the Assam chapter of the Indian Medical Association met the chief minister and submitted a memorandum, urging him to make immediate arrangement of armed security in all government hospitals, health care facilities, including all COVID Care Centres.

    The delegation, led by state President Dr Satyajit Borah, also demanded 24 hours uninterrupted power supply and CCTVs functional 24X7 in all hospitals and health care facilities.

    The doctors also demanded the amendment of the Assam Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Propert) Act, 2011 to include more stringent provisions like imprisonment upto ten years, fine upto Rs five lakh and fast track trial with conviction within six months.

    The doctors also demanded that the number of patients attendants should be strictly controlled in all hospitals.

    All sensitive areas in the state, with a history of violence in health establishments and doctors should be identified and no young doctor be posted in those areas alone under the ‘Rural Posting’ obligation.

    The delegation also demanded that all private hospitals should also be asked to tighten the security measures in a similar manner.

    The chief minister assured them that all their genuine demands will be fulfilled and the state government will take all measures for the security of the medical professionals.

    The delegation also presented a cheque of Rs one lakh to Sarma as the IMA’s contribution to the chief minister’s relief fund.

  • Assam doctor assault case: NHRC seeks action-taken report from state government

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission has taken cognisance of the alleged assault on a doctor at a medical facility in Hojai district of Assam and sought an action-taken report from the state government within four weeks, officials said on Friday.

    A video of the attack, which went viral on social media, purportedly showed the doctor being assaulted by a group of people, including women.

    “We had received the complaint letter dated June 2, in connection with the incident, and the NHRC has taken cognisance of the matter and sought a report from the Assam government,” a senior official told PTI.

    The complainant, advocate Sneha Kalita, has alleged that Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati was “brutally assaulted” on June 1 by the attendants, following the death of a patient suffering from COVID-19 and pneumonia at Udali Model Hospital in Hojai district”.

    Some of the frontline medical workers, doctors, nurses and ward boys had managed to escape, but also “got hurt and heavily traumatised by this horrific incident”, she has alleged.

    READ MORE | Doctors in Assam boycott OPD services protesting assault on colleague, 24 assailants arrested

    The NHRC, after taking cognisance of the case, took action on Thursday, the official said.

    “Let a copy of the complaint be transmitted to the chief secretary, government of Assam and the director general of police, Assam to have the allegations inquired, take the needful preventive and punitive action in the matter and submit an action-taken report to the commission within a period of four weeks,” the NHRC said.

    In addition, a copy of the complaint will also be sent to the secretary, Ministry of Health, Government of India, to “initiate necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of the frontline health workers in the country,” it said.

    “The complainant has stated that in the present pandemic situations, while the health workers are putting their own life, health and families at risk; all measures should be taken to ensure their safety and security,” according to the proceedings.

    She has also requested the commission to send a team for an “independent investigation” of the incident and to deploy and provide adequate police security in every hospital and Covid Care Centre to prevent such kind of violent situations, the NHRC said.

    Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday had said that 24 people were arrested for allegedly assaulting the doctor at the facility.

    All political parties have condemned the incident and asked the government to take strict action against the culprits.

    Hojai Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha had earlier said that a critically ill coronavirus-positive patient had succumbed to the disease at Udali Covid Care Centre on Tuesday afternoon.