MGM Medical College doctor assault case: Doctors call off stir after four held

Ranchi: Doctors in Jharkhand have withdrawn their call to boycott work hours after the stir began on Friday, as four people accused of assaulting a paediatrician at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) in Jamshedpur were arrested, police said. 

A senior paediatrician of Kamlesh Oraon of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) in Jamshedpur was allegedly attacked by attendants following the death of child on Monday night.

“The four accused have been arrested. Formalities to send them to jail are being completed,” East Singhbhum (Rural) SP Rishabh Garg told PTI.

Also Read:Jharkhand doctors boycott work to condemn assault on doctor at MGM Medical College

He said a special investigation team (SIT) nabbed the accused late on Thursday.

Members of the state wing of Indian Medical Association and Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA) had given the call to boycott work from 6 am on Friday.

An IMA official said around 14,000 doctors of government and private hospitals in the state took part in the agitation. Emergency services, however, were unaffected, he said.

The OPD services at MGMMCH, Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences and Dhanbad’s Saheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College & Hospital were disrupted for two hours due to the stir, officials said.

“We decided to call off the agitation after our demand for arresting the culprits was met,” Jharkhand IMA president A K Singh told PTI.

“We also urge the government to implement the Medical Protection Act (MPA) for the benefit of doctors and patients at the earliest,” he added.

As per a media report in The Hindustan Times, Police said, Ravi Sardar, Santosh Karmakar, Aakash Tanti, and Bharat Pradhan have been arrested and charged under sections 353 (obstructing government work), 307 (attempt to murder), and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The accused were sent to judicial custody after production in a local court.

Dr Chaudhary said they hoped their demand for a permanent police picket at MGMMCH would be fulfilled at the earliest. “This shows why the Medical Protection Act (MPA) is a must in Jharkhand, too,” added Dr Chaudhary.