GUWAHATI, Sept 1 - The Assam State branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a 24-hour �withdrawal� from medical services, excluding emergency services, by doctors all over the State from 6 am of September 3 in protest against the brutal assault and resultant death of Dr Deven Dutta (73) of Teok Tea Estate on Saturday while the physician was on duty.
In a statement here today, IMA State branch president Dr Satyajit Borah and its secretary Dr Hemanga Baishya described Saturday�s Teok Tea Estate incident as an incident that �crossed all tolerable limits.� The IMA is in dearth of words to condemn this incident, said Dr Borah and Dr Baishya.
They said that this is the third major incident of assault on doctors serving in the tea gardens across the State in recent times. The doctors are frequent witness to such incidents in other healthcare establishments too on various pretexts.
They regretted that despite repeated demand from the IMA for adequate security to the doctors serving in all tea garden hospitals and in other vulnerable areas, and installation of surveillance cameras in all health establishments, including those located in the tea gardens, there is no concrete step taken by the authorities concerned. Consequently, incidents of assaults on doctors are on the rise.
Moreover, the conviction rate of culprits booked in the cases of assault on the doctors are very low and the conviction process in such cases also progresses at a slow pace, rued the IMA State branch office-bearers.
The Assam Valley unit of the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA) has also condemned the incident �in the strongest possible terms,� describing the assault on Dr Dutta as �mindless and murderous,� which resulted in his death while on way to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.
The Assam Valley CCPA has further called upon the authorities concerned to immediately apprehend the culprits responsible for the assault on Dr Dutta and has demanded strict action against them.
