Brutal attack on doctor for allegedly not providing ambulance, IMA protests
Dibrugarh: Doctors in the state of Assam have staged a black band protest demanding for security at workplace; after a 65-year-old doctor, who manages Dikom tea estate was allegedly brutally assaulted by a group of garden workers recently.
The doctor was accused of allegedly not providing the ambulance on time for a woman worker at the tea estate, who died after being injured during a natural calamity. The woman's fellow workers blamed the doctor for ambulance delay and allegedly assaulted him causing severe injuries to the doctor. In all 17 people were arrested in this case by the police.
Following the brutal attack, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have staged a protest and demanded security at workplace.
According to recent media reports, the incident took place on May 6th when the thunderstorm had caused a tree to fall on a woman who within a short time succumbed to her injuries before reaching the peripheral hospital in the garden. Three co-workers faced injuries during the incident.
Around 300 labourers gathered in the hospital blaming the doctor responsible for the delay in an ambulance reaching on spot. The group of workers attacked the Medical Officer Dr Thakur, pharmacist on duty and the manager of the tea estate.
The doctor was injured severely where his collar bone was broken and the rib cage was fractured. He is being treated under ICU in the private hospital in the region.
The police immediately went to the location to control the matter and arrested 17 people in connection with the assault.
Read Also: Brutal Assault: Mob beats Urologist, attempt to Kidnap him; Private hospitals SHUT in protest
The management denied the allegations made by the workers.
Samar Jyoti Chaliha, manager of Dikom tea estate told the North East Now, "There was no negligence on our part. The incident occurred due to a natural calamity at 2.15 pm. We reached the Dikom state dispensary with the injured persons at 2.45 pm. We immediately sent an ambulance and unfortunately she died."
Talking about attackers, the Manager told the Sentinel Assam, "The main culprits behind the atrocious and unwarranted attack were resident non-workers, not the local garden labourers. In fact, the local labourers have come out in complete support of the management, helping the police to hunt down the miscreants. Such a high degree of loyalty coming from them was unknown thus far."
Following the incident, the doctors, members of the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia branches of Indian Medical Association (IMA) went on a protest against the incident. The protesters demanded installation of CCTV cameras in all tea garden hospitals for the security purpose.
The Joint Secretary of IMA Assam state branch, Prashant Agarwal told the Telegraph, "We strongly condemn the assault. If the government doesn't take concrete measures to stop such incidents, we will be forced to intensify our agitation."
IMA national president wrote to the Chief Minister urged to take strong action against the culprits.
The IMA urged Dispur to start an awareness drive on the Assam Medicare Service Persons & Institutions Prevention of Violence and Damage to Properties Act, 2011, reports the Telegraph.
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