BJP leader detained over Banihal Hospital protest in JnK

Banihal: Following a protest over the alleged shortage of doctors at Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Banihal, a BJP leader was detained for several hours on Wednesday after being booked for allegedly locking the hospital's main gate, officials said.

The BJP leader was picked up from the party office in the Banihal area of Ramban district after a case was registered at the local police station against him under sections 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 126 (wrongful restraint) and 127 (wrongful confinement) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, they said, reports PTI.

The officials said the BJP leader was later released on bail.

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According to reports, Bhat, who had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly elections from the Banihal constituency, allegedly created a ruckus inside the sub-district hospital in Banihal on Tuesday by locking the main gate and holding a dharna inside the premises of the facility over an alleged shortage of doctors.

The chaos continued for nearly half an hour despite repeated requests from Sub-Divisional Magistrate Mohammad Naseeb, who had rushed to the scene with a police team after receiving information about the incident.

The hospital authorities, however, maintained that patient care was not significantly affected. They said that a block medical officer and 12 doctors are currently posted at the hospital and attending to patients.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that nearly 10,000 positions in Jammu and Kashmir’s public healthcare system remain vacant, severely impacting key medical colleges and health institutions across the Union Territory, the government informed the Legislative Assembly. In a written reply to MLA Budgam Aga Muntazir Mehdi, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo confirmed that thousands of positions remain unfilled, and the administration is actively working to address the shortages.

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