Docs to take voluntary retirement

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Dec. 5: Pediatrician Dr TK Das, who was assaulted in Malda district hospital after the death of an infant baby on Monday, has decided to take voluntary retirement from government service, hospital super Dr Animesh Roy said today. Dr Das informed of his decision to the Malda district hospital superintendent yesterday and said: “I cannot bear the unnecessary harassment for this government job where there is no prestige, safety and security. I have been humiliated by irate people and lawyers who do not know about medical science and the treatment.” It may be noted that Dr Das had protested when he was suddenly attacked by a group of people including a lawyer of Malda court Md Iqbal Hossian and lodged a written compliant with the hospital super. On the basis of the complaint Mr. Iqbal was arrested and but he got bail. Then the lawyers lodged another complaint against him and tried to press the administration to arrest the doctor staging agitation. "Dr Das is shocked and is suffering from too much ‘fear psychosis’ to attend patients at the Malda district hospital,” said Dr Roy, Malda district hospital superintendent. “Not only Dr Das but three other doctors are facing such a problem and have informed me that they would quit the hospital service seeking voluntary retirement due to law and order problem at the Malda district hospital,” Dr Roy informed. The three doctors are Dr Himachal Das, Dr Manoj Jha, surgeon, and Dr SN Sharma, gynaecologist. The doctors in Malda district hospital yesterday met the district magistrate Mr CR Das and sought proper security in the district hospital and requested him to look into the matter. The district magistrate held an all party meeting on this issue yesterday and formulated a system to maintain law and order inside and outside the Malda District Hospital. In an administrative meeting the hospital super said that a one-year-old baby was admitted here on Saturday with acute abdominal disorder with encephalitis and bronchitis. The Dr Das had already informed the parents that there was no chance of his survival. Though he was improving after treatment, he alerted them about the baby's bad condition. The hospital super claimed: “Dr Das received a call from the hospital at 8.50 a.m. and arrived there at 9 a.m. on Monday. In the meantime the baby had died and he and two other hospital staff were assaulted and humiliated.” Malda SP Mr S Bandopadhayay and other civil administrative officials today visited the Malda district hospital to tighten security including inside of the hospital. The hospital super said: “We are trying hard to restrict entry to one relative with patient inside the hospital but have failed. If situation proceeds in such a fashion, then I will have to quit,” Dr Roy told The Statesman. Though the CMOH had floated tender to appoint ex-military men for security of the district hospital following health minister Dr Surya Kanta Mishra's repeated instructions, the earlier contractor for security arrangement has been reappointed.