2 accused arrested in the physical harassment case of a doctor in Hailakandi; One of them Covid positive

About a week ago, after the death of a Corona patient at the Hailakandi Civil Hospital, the patient’s family physically harassed the on-duty doctor. At first, the doctor was a bit afraid to give a police statement, but finally, he approached the police with the help of his family. Dr Gaurab Bhattacharjee’s mother filed a complaint at the Hailakandi police station. A week later, the police arrested the two accused on Friday morning. Their residence is in the town of Hailakandi and after the incident, they were at home being totally tension free.

Hailakandi Police Station OC Pranab Kumar Saikia said two accused, Rumpi Malakar and Himanshu Malakar, were arrested on Friday morning. Cases have been filed against them under sections 294, 323, 506 and 34 of the IPC. However, after the arrest, it was learned that Rumpi Malakar was kept in isolation in a separate room at the police station as she had contracted the Coronavirus. Her interrogation will fully comply with the Covid protocols.

He said, “The services provided by the health workers in these difficult times are very important and it is our duty to protect them. Two accused have been arrested for harassing the doctors and all the necessary action will be taken against them. Apart from this, the police also have plans to tighten security for health workers at every hospital in the district.

According to the family sources of the doctor who was attacked, a local family brought a corona-infected patient to the Hailakandi Civil Hospital on May 27. The patient’s condition was extremely severe and he died within minutes of arriving at the hospital. The doctors could not help the patient as he arrived quite late expecting quick treatment. Dr Gaurab Bhattacharjee was working outdoors that day. As part of the protocol, he declared the patient to be dead and thus informed the family. On hearing this, the family members became very angry and abused him at first, and then started beating the doctor. Sensing the volatile situation, other doctors and health workers came forward and saved Gaurav Bhattacharjee. The patient’s family members repeatedly threatened him while leaving, which frightened the health workers as well. On returning home, Dr Gaurab Bhattacharjee told his mother everything, but he was still afraid to go to the police. The next day, they filed a complaint with the local police station.

Gaurab Bhattacharjee’s mother is a former government employee. She said, “It’s not just doctors or health workers who are panicking, it’s hurting the society as a whole. We can understand the mental state of the patient’s family, but that doesn’t mean they will physically abuse doctors. My son has been honestly doing his duty but now I am afraid to send him to the hospital. We are appealing to the administration and the state government to ensure the safety of the doctors and health workers in the hospital.”

Dr Sudip Chakraborty, Superintendent of the Civil Hospital, said, “At least in the hospital premises, strict measures should be taken to ensure that no doctor or health worker is harassed. We have spoken to the administration about this and they have assured us that the health workers will be provided adequate protection. We want to install CCTV cameras in every area of the hospital premises in the future.”

Hailakandi Superintendent of Police Ramandeep Kaur said they were investigating the incident. “Two people have been arrested on the basis of an application made to the police on behalf of the doctor’s family. We are concerned about the safety of not just one doctor but every health worker in the district. Security will be tightened in the future.”