Communal virus attacks doctors, but they too are vulnerable to physical assaults

Extracts from the encyclopedia compiled by

DR. MRS. Meenal Kumar, M.D. senior gynecologist and menopause consultant, Sector 20 Civil Dispensary, Chandigarh

and

DR.R.Kumar M.S., Opthalmologist & Health Columnist, 232, Sector 16, Chandigarh

Doctors in the riot hit Indian city of Ahmedabad have not been working in its Muslim neighborhoods for several weeks, because of security concerns and a disruption in medical services. Consultants and general practitioners belonging to the majority Hindu community are avoiding visits to Muslim localities in Ahmedabad, where religious riots between Hindus and Muslims have claimed more than 400 lives in the past 10weeks.

Security concerns for doctors surfaced after individuals posing as patients stabbed and injured a Hindu doctor last month in his clinic in a Muslim neighborhood. The incident prompted the Ahmedabad Doctors' Forum to urge Hindu doctors not to venture into Muslim localities unless their safety was guaranteed.

The forum has asserted that its call was not intended to deny medical services to Muslims but to ensure the safety of doctors. “Religion is not an issue at all,” Dr Bharat Amin, president of the forum told the BMJ. “All patients are equal to us,” he said. But doctors concede that medical services in Muslim localities are in disarray. “Less than 200 of the city's 4500 doctors are Muslims, and they simply cannot handle all the Muslim patients,” said Dr Vijay Bhatia, vice president of the Indian Medical Association's Ahmedabad branch. “Personal safety or professional duty—that's the dilemma that doctors in this city are facing,” Dr Bhatia said. Hindu doctors have stopped visiting hospitals in Muslim localities. At the Al Amin Hospital, for example, 70 out of 82 consultants are Hindus. “All but two have stayed away from the hospital for several weeks,” Dr Sadiq Kazi, medical superintendent at Al Amin told the BMJ.

Its Muslim consultants have also stopped visiting because of safety concerns about traveling around the city.

Safety first, naukari later at Lucknow

The minister for medical and health Ramapati Shastri hints at suspension and even termination of government doctors who fail to report at the rural primary health centers and community health centers, the terse warning, for once has fallen on deaf ears. "Safety first, naukari later" is the latest slogan doing the rounds among the 11,391 strong provincial medical health service cadre, which has 7,000 physicians/surgeons specially earmarked for rural postings only.

And they are a worried lot. With growing cases of assault and robbery against doctors, rural postings over the years have become extremely unsafe for the cadre. They list at least a dozen such crimes which have gone unheard during the last six months. What adds to their shock value is the fact that none of them has been worked out by the police so far. Topping the list has been the brutal assault on Dr. Kashyap, medical officer in Tiloi, Rai Bareli in February. The miscreants who broke into his official residence hurt him grievously, fracturing both his arms and legs. Kashyap has not yet fully recovered and the culprits are still at large.

The medical officer Tamkuhi Deoria was attacked and robbed in January and so were medical officers from Mehmoodabad and district hospital, Lakhimpur. The attacks on the two eminent doctors all within a month had sent a shock wave in the district and had led to a local strike in Lakhimpur. But till date the police have not been able to make any headway in the case.  Similarly, Dr Anil Rao posted at Mandi Tateri PHC in Baghpat was roughed up and looted in his house in May, while Dr O.B.  Srivastava, deputy CMO and his physician son were killed by unknown miscreants in Meerut.  Alarmed at the growing cult of violence, the association had submitted a proposal to the state government last year to provide for security, but has failed to evoke any response.

Superintendent of medical college hospital at Kolkata attacked

 Superintendents of various city hos

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