A crowd in front of the Lodhan block health centre at Goalpokhor on Monday. Picture by Nantu Dey

Raiganj\Islampur, Aug. 16: Doctors and nurses of a block primary health centre in Goalpokhor that treats about 100 patients a day have kept the facility closed since Friday after they were allegedly beaten up by villagers.

The violence took place when the doctors of the 30-bedded Lodhon primary health centre referred two patients to the subdivisional hospital. A police picket has been posted at the health centre. Subdivisional officer of Islampur Partho Ghosh said the facility would reopen tomorrow.

Chief medical officer of health of North Dinajpur Parthasarathi Bhattacharjee condemned the “growing tendency” to beat up hospital staff on slightest pretext.

“But the closure of a health centre without any notice also cannot be supported. I have requested the subdivisional officer to ensure the safety and security of the medical staff,” Bhattacharjee said.

Himanshu Mahato, the medical officer of the health centre, said two youths injured in an accident were brought to the facility on Friday night.

“After preliminary treatment, we had referred them to the Islampur subdivisional hospital because of its better infrastructure,” Mahato said. But the decision had angered the relatives of the patients who assaulted the medical staff of the unit.

Mahato said the mob threatened them to return with more villagers to teach them “a lesson”. “Without taking any chances, we temporarily discharged the small number of patients admitted to the health centre, locked the building and fled to safety.”

The medical officer said a complaint was lodged with Goalpokhor police station the next day demanding security for the health staff.

The closure of the health centre for over 72 hours had created problems for the local people. Mohammed Asraful, a youth, alleged that his father had fallen ill on Saturday evening and had to be taken to Islampur, 50km away, in a hired car.

SDO Partho Ghosh said a round-the-clock police picket had been posted at the health centre since this morning. “The health centre will reopen tomorrow.”

Ghosh said he had started an inquiry into the charges of the doctors and the staff of the health centre.

The Indian Medical Association and the West Bengal Doctors’ Health Service Association today brought out a procession in Islampur. Both the bodies submitted a memorandum to the SDO demanding arrest of those who had assaulted the doctors and nurses at the health centre.

The doctors in Islampur also closed their private chambers and wore black badges to condemn the assault.

Congress sabhadhipati of the zilla parishad Moqtar Ali Sardar said he had asked the SDO to take action against the doctors and other staff for closing the health centre for more than 72 hours without informing the higher authorities.