Sir,

While the doctors’ associations cry foul, and blame ‘Jungle raj’ in Bihar, the sick had a harrowing day when the one-day strike called by the state branch of Indian Medical Association and Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA) to protest hit medical services across the state.

But the doctors here have a point. Doctors appear to be receiving threats from all sorts of ‘anti-socials’. What’s worse is that there appears to be no official statements from the Health Minister, who is none other than Tej Pratap, the RJD supreme commander Laloo Prasad’s son.

“The murder of Dr S B Singh, posted in Motihari’s Jokihaat PHC, forced us to resort to strike,” said a PMCH doctor. Even non-government doctors participated in the strike this time. “We heeded the call of IMA as we are working in an atmosphere of insecurity,” said one of the many city doctors who  kept their clinics closed.

Dr Singh was found dead on August 14 with bullet wounds in the jaw from point blank range. The IMA claimed that after being threatened for the first time on August 4, he had registered an FIR with the police that named specific people. He was again assaulted six days later. His wife claims that those who beat him up were the same miscreants who murdered him. ” The East Champaran Superintendent of Police and Sangrampur Police Station Head Officer should be transferred and action should be taken against then. We demand a CBI inquiry into the incident and payment of ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh to the doctor’s family,” said the state IMA in a statement.

IMA secretary Dr Harihar Dikshit said this was not an isolated incident. “The incidents of assault and ruckus being created have been reported from Bhagalpur Medical College, Naubatpur, Bihta and Fathua primary health centres this month itself. A few days back, ransom was demanded from a Saharsa doctor and disturbing incidents have been reported from Aurangabad and Sasaram this month,” he said and added the doctors had made many representations to the government, but nothing seems to have happened.

Are the doctors’ pleas falling on deaf ears? Why is it that the upper classes in Bihar are beginning to feel insecure?

Of course, there are other counter-questions: Why does the IMA in Bihar try to cover up malpractices by its members? Is it true that some doctors are losing respect because of their callousness and rudeness to the common people they serve? Is it true that a sizeable section of the IMA are politically leaning towards a particular party now in the opposition, and the narrative is coloured by narratives of the elite and upper castes that use the social media to paint Bihar black and blue?

Why don’t the police get to the bottom of the killing in a small place like Motihari? Why can’t the government take measures to send a strong message by punishing those who beat up doctors? If CM Nitish Kumar can suspend an entire police station full of officers for a hooch case, why can’t he be equally stern when doctors are being targeted?  These are questions that can be only answered by those in the government. However, so far, mum’s the word.

Yours truly,

Puzzled Citizen

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