Assaults on Doctors and Killing of Dr. Deben Dutta

Very often we come across news of assaulting of doctors and on a few occasions killing of doctors. Recently, the killing of Dr. Deben Dutta, the medical officer, a septuagenarian in Teok Tea Estate by some tea labourers is condemned by one and all. It has become a matter of grave concern that the doctors are often assaulted on trivial matters in different hospitals and nursing homes. This happened despite the presence of an Act (Doctor’s Protection Act, 2011). The heart-rending and dastardly killing of Dr. Deben Dutta implies that the doctors in Assam are not secure at all, particularly when it comes to a case in tea estates. Despite pleadings, the managements of the tea estates miserably fail to provide protection. In the case of Dr. Dutta, the labourers who killed him crossed all the ethical limits when they not only prevented the ambulance from coming but scared it away depriving Dr. Dutta of any medical aid. Protesting against the dastardly killing of Dr. Dutta the medical fraternity of Assam observed a ‘bandh’ on September 3. This cowardly killing is not an isolated case that takes place in tea estates, prior to this also several assaulting cases in the tea estates rocked Assam but that was not enough to open the eyes of the managements of the tea gardens who always fail to manage security ‘Bandbast’ for the medical officers. We believe, the unscrupulous killers of Dr. Dutta who have been nabbed meanwhile must receive exemplary punishment. Meanwhile, a few doctors have resigned from their posts from the tea gardens, some more will follow the suit. May the soul of Dr. Dutta rest in eternal peace!

Ashok Bordoloi,

Dibrugarh.

Also Read: AMCH Doctors Protest Against Brutal Killing of Tea Estate Doctor