Araria: The protest by doctors and medicine shop owners in Forbesganj town in the Araria district of Bihar was called off after an Additional District Magistrate-rank officer tendered an apology over an alleged altercation with a doctor during a hospital inspection. The incident occurred during an inspection drive carried out by the district task force against unauthorised healthcare facilities. The team, led by the officer, was inspecting private clinical establishments in Forbesganj when an altercation reportedly broke out at a clinic. Medical professionals claimed that the officer slapped the doctor during the inspection, triggering widespread outrage in the medical community.Also Read:Viral video shows doctor allegedly slapped during hospital inspection; Doctors’ body issues 48-hour ultimatumMedical Dialogues had previously reported that in a shocking incident of alleged violence against medical professionals, a doctor, also the owner of a children’s hospital in Araria, was allegedly abused and slapped by a Deputy Collector during an inspection of the hospital. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, showing the Deputy Collector entering the doctor’s chamber, asking his name twice, and allegedly slapping him after the doctor requested the officials to sit down and continue the discussion calmly. The district unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) convened an emergency meeting soon after the incident. The Bihar Health Services Association also strongly condemned the alleged assault and issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the state government seeking action.
In protest, several medicine shops, private nursing homes, and clinical establishments across Forbesganj closed their shutters, affecting patients and disrupting routine medical services in the town.
Amid mounting pressure, an Additional District Magistrate-rank officer visited the doctor’s clinic on Sunday and tendered an apology in the presence of IMA district president Dr. Moiz and other representatives of the association. The apology was accepted, effectively bringing the standoff to an end.Also Read:IMA Kerala raises concern over Clinical Establishments Act, small hospitals at riskFollowing the resolution, the protest was called off. Medicine shops and private healthcare establishments resumed operations, and normalcy was restored in the town, reports TOI.
