Patna, April 21: Doctors' strike today paralysed the health services in Siwan, a day after a mob vandalised the Sadar hospital and set it on fire following the death of five persons in an accident.
The Sadar hospital sported a deserted look. No new patient was admitted to the health hub, which caters to over 500 patients every day.
The vandalism in the hospital yesterday and the strike of the doctors the day after cast a shadow on the administration's role. On Monday, it failed to control the mob. Today, it failed to ensure medical services in the hospital.
The BJP today created pandemonium in the Legislative Council seeking a special debate on the violence in Siwan. But vice-chairman Salim Parwez rejected it. The Opposition members immediately rushed into the Well and raised anti-government slogans, compelling the vice-chairman to adjourn the House till the lunch break (2.20 pm).
Talking to reporters in his chamber on the Council premises, Leader of Opposition Sushil Kumar Modi alleged that the five persons who suffered serious injuries in a road accident on Monday in Siwan died simply because the (Sadar) hospital neither had doctors and nurses, nor medicines in adequate quantity for treating the injured persons. This angered the people who resorted to violence to express their ire.
Modi claimed that even private nursing homes refused to entertain the injured persons and demanded stern action against the clinics that refused treatment.
"People (injured) could have been saved had medicines been available and doctors were posted at the hospital," he said, adding that the Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd had completely stopped purchasing medicines after the drug scam surfaced in the state.
"Chief minister Nitish Kumar earlier used to monitor the progress of the health departments but now he devotes most of his time to the "merger (of erstwhile Janata parivar offshoots)". He has no concern for the administration," said Modi.
Back in Siwan, the doctors and paramedical employees shouted slogans against the district authorities for their failure to provide adequate security on the hospital campus. The medicos even threatened to launch an indefinite agitation.
Later, a meeting was held under the banner of the district unit of the Indian Medical Association in which its office bearers - Dr Shashi Bhushan Choudhary, Dr M.K. Alam, Dr Laxmi Choudhary - and civil surgeon Dr Anil Kumar Choudhary were in attendance. After parleys, the doctors decided to defer their indefinite strike on the assurance of the district magistrate.
The civil surgeon, Choudhary, said the doctors were surprised over the complaint lodged against them by the relatives of those killed in the accidents. "It's wrong to drag the doctors into controversy," he said, adding that the work remained badly affected in Sadar hospital because of the strike of the doctors.
He revealed that all the patients were shifted to other hospitals after the mob violence. While some were admitted to primary health centres in the neighbourhood, others left the hospital on their own.
"It will take time to restore the medical services at the Sadar hospital, which borne the brunt of the vandals," he told The Telegraph over phone.
Police have detained a few more suspects for questioning. "The identity of the people indulged in yesterday's violence is being ascertained. Stern action will be taken against the vandals," Siwan superintendent of police Vikas Burman said, adding that video footage had been sought from the media to ascertain their identity.
The SP said shops and business establishments reopened today. Additional forces had been deployed in the town as a precautionary measure, he added.
