POLICE IN HOSPITALS

Police outposts demanded in government hospitals

In the wake of recent spurt of violent incidents in the government hospitals the district health department requested the district administration to set up police outposts in the hospitals. District police sources said the proposal is now under consideration.

On Monday, alleging that three newborn babies died following bursting of an oxygen cylinder at Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Hospital (the district hospital of Cooch Behar), the activists of Trinamul Congress ransacked the office room of the hospital superintendent. They also staged a demonstration at the office of the chief medical officer of health in Cooch Behar.

Earlier, on 1 June, the activists of the Forward Bloc and the CPI-M demonstrated at Dinhata Sub-divisional Hospital. They were protesting against bad diets, poor services and irregularities. During the agitation they threw rotten potatoes and other rotten vegetables to the hospital superintendent and the doctors. A doctor was also manhandled. Following the incident the doctors of the hospital observed cease work at the outpatients department. They also abstained from attending their private chambers for a few days. Later, the hospital superintendent surrendered his responsibility and a new one was posted at his chair.

Mathabhanga Sub-divisional Hospital too suffers from regular troubles. It is hard to maintain normal functioning in that hospital as trouble may break out at any moment, a senior medical officer alleged.

Welcoming the district health department's initiative, the Indian Medical Association's Cooch Behar unit secretary Dr Amal Basak said there was a demand for a long to set up police outposts in the district hospital and all the sub-divisional hospitals. At MJN Hospital, room for a police picket was provided but it comes to no effect at the time of requirement. Dr Basak also said that ransacking of hospital properties and attack on doctors is non-bailable offence in several provinces like Andhra Pradesh. This rule should be introduced in West Bengal too, he opined.

The Cooch Behar CMOH, Dr Radha Raman Banik said he reported the recent incidents to the district magistrate Ms Smaraki Mahapatra and requested her to arrange setting up of police outposts at all the sub-divisional hospitals. As incidents of ransacking and attack on doctors are taking place very often the police outposts are required for quick intervention for the security of the doctors and to protect the hospital properties, he said.

A senior official of Cooch Behar District Police said the proposal is under consideration.