KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
A senior doctor was allegedly manhandled and locked up by a police officer after he refused to fill up an Injury Form of a patient (prisoner) at Sub-District Hospital Damhal Hanjipora in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. It were the attendants of a patient who barged into police station and got the doctor released during the dead of the night.
Feeling “sorry” for the victim doctor, Chief Medical Officer Kulgam Dr Ashiq Hussain said that “these are the working conditions” in Kashmir where even a respected medico is unsafe that even during duty hours.
“We brought the issue into the notice of Director Health and in fact the Director conveyed his displeasure to top police officials. An inquiry team has been constituted but we are not certain the erring police officer will be punished,” the Chief Medical Officer told CNS adding that the irony is that instead of apologizing police have registered a “fake” FIR against the victim doctor accusing him of assault.
“Under these circumstances, how could a doctor give his best? The protectors of law and the law breakers,” he said.
The victim doctor Muhammad Maqbool said that he was “dragged” out from the hospital just because he “refused to fill up an Injury Form of a prisoner”.
“Under rules, an injury form is filled up by that doctor who treats a patient. The prisoner was not my patient as he had already been treated by a doctor at Primary Health Centre Manzgam,” he said.
“Station House Officer DH Pora along with his men hit me with gun buts. I was the only doctor present in the hospital during night hours when the incident occurred. On my refusal to fill up the form, the SHO and his men dragged me out from the hospital and illegally detained me in police station,” Dr Muhammad Maqbool said alleging that SHO Damhal Hanji Pora “abused” his power and position.
“It were attendants of an emergency patient who released me from the lock up. I took up the matter with the higher authorities but are not sure whether any action will be taken against the erring SHO,” he said adding that despite being “innocent” police have registered an FIR vide number 77/2016 under section 353 (assault) against him.
SP Kulgam Muhammad Irshad said that he will look into the matter but the Station House Officer Police Station DH Pora said that the medico “misbehaved” with him.
“He denied filling up an injury form of a patient. There was a verbal brawl. A case was registered against him but he was let go as there was no doctor available in the hospital during night hours,” he said.
