The health centre at Gopalganj. Picture by Surajit Roy

Malda, April 20: Hundreds of villagers of Gopalganj gathered at the health centre today, demanding that no penal action be taken against the medical officer, Manoranjan Biswas, who has been served a showcause notice.

District chief medical officer of health Radharaman Banik has showcaused Biswas along with additional medical officer Bikash Ghosh, a nurse and a Group-D employee, for going on unauthorised leaves from last Friday, locking the health centre. As a result, Asrin Bibi from a nearby village gave birth to a baby on the road.

Despite the doctor’s “dereliction of duties”, the villagers today demonstrated in front of the health centre, threatening to launch a greater movement, if medical officer Biswas is either transferred or suspended as punishment. Both Biswas and Ghosh have been at the centre for the past 21 years.

“We have read in the newspaper that Manoranjanbabu has admitted to his fault,” said Khalesh Sheikh, a villager. “He is a different person altogether. He attends to us at any time of the day — be it mid-night or early morning. He always prescribes cheap medicines to us. He has never failed in his duty.” Even Asrin Bibi, who gave birth to a baby outside the centre, supported the medical officer.

Biswas, who hails from Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas, burst into tears at the villagers’ love for him. “I never knew that they loved and respected me so much,” Biswas said. “Now I regret it all the more to have left the health centre without making any alternative arrangement.”