A Correspondent
GOLAGHAT: The Assam Medical Service Association (AMSA) Golaghat district unit has strongly condemned the incident of assault on a tea estate doctor in Teok on August 31.
The AMSA Golaghat unit submitted a memorandum, signed by the president and secretary of organization, Dr HK Hazarika and Dr AK Baruah respectively, through the DC and SP of Golaghat to the Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Health and Family Welfare Department, and the Director of General of Police, Assam, demanding stringent action against the culprits and adequate security to doctors.
The memorandum stated, “It is painful on our part to express our serious concern repeatedly at assaults on doctors across Assam. On August 31 at around 4 pm, Dr. Deben Dutta on duty at Teok TE of Jorhat district was manhandled and physically assaulted by miscreants of Teok TE and he expired on his way to Jorhat Medical College. This recent incident has crossed all tolerable limits and AMSA has found no words to condemn it. This is the third major incident of assault on doctors serving in tea gardens across Assam in recent times and they are also witness to frequent such incidents in other health establishments on various pretexts. AMSA has repeatedly been demanding adequate security coverage in all vulnerable health establishments. The association also demands other security measures like installation of surveillance cameras in all health establishments, including tea gardens.”
It further stated, “Assaults on doctors are on the rise. It is also disappointing that the conviction rates of culprits booked in assaults on doctors are very low and in a very slow pace. AMSA requests the government to take all necessary steps, to not only book the culprits under the relevant sections of IPC and Assam Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Properties) Act, 2011, but to show exemplary fast tract punishment to the murderers of Dr Deben Dutta.”