A medical student allegedly slapped back his principal on Wednesday, tarnishing the teacher-student relationship at the premier Patna Medical College.
The postgraduate student allegedly manhandled his principal after he scolded him for parking his vehicle in front of the emergency wing of the hospital.
According to principal S.N. Sinha, he had earlier issued an order asking hostel inmates not to park their vehicles in the barricaded area in front of the emergency wing. Around 12 noon when Sinha found Alok Kumar, the second-year postgraduate anaesthesia student, violating his orders, he got angry. Both had a heated argument for over a few minutes.
Sources said the student kept arguing with Sinha and hurled abuses after which Sinha lost his cool and slapped him. The student slapped him back. According to the principal's office, the postgraduate students (junior doctors) soon left work at the emergency wing without prior information. A postgraduate student, however, said they were on strike.
"Till 6.30pm, we did not receive any communication from the students on whether they have gone on strike. They stopped working since 2pm at the emergency wing soon after the incident. They have not yet resumed work. We don't know whether to take it as a strike or not, but the hospital has asked the civil surgeon and the principal secretary, health, to provide doctors so that we can manage the emergency wing. The civil surgeon's office has assured us to provide five doctors in the night. We are expecting to get more doctors from the district tomorrow," said an official at the principal's office.
Sources said the college convened a high-level meeting after the incident in which the heads of the various departments were present. Director-in-chief Azad Hind Prasad and joint secretary, health, S.C. Verma, too, was present. The officials spoke on lawlessness on the college campus and they also decided to issue a showcause notice to the student.
Principal Sinha said a showcause notice has been served to the PG student asking him to explain his point in four days. "I have always asked students to maintain discipline on the campus which many don't like. We cannot allow lawlessness in the college or hospital campus. Postgraduate students, doctors and the other employees are supposed to abide by the rules. If anybody is violating the norm, he/she would face action," he said.
Students and teachers of Patna Medical College had mixed reaction on the issue. A student said: "The incident is shameful. The student should not have hit the principal, but a principal does not have the right to slap a student. Both need to maintain a decorum." A medicine department doctor said the principal happens to be the father's age of the student. "How can a son beat up his father? This is intolerable."
