Srinagar, May 26, 2020 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, thrashing, beating and subsequent detention of renowned cardiologist Dr Syed Maqbool, Chief Medical Officer Bandipora Dr Tajamul Hussain and Dr Shabbir and other health workers by Indian forces’ personnel have been widely condemned by different medical organizations, civil society members and political parties.
Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) in a statement in Srinagar while denouncing the heckling and harassment of doctors and health workers by Indian army and police termed it as unacceptable. Dr Tajamul was stopped near Eidgah in Bandipora while he was on his way to inspect Quarantine Centre and was harassed by the police personnel.
DAK said that two senior doctors Dr Syed Maqbool and Dr Shabbir, both working at SMHS hospital, were beaten ruthlessly and harassed by police in Srinagar. “Both the doctors were on their way to hospital in their personal vehicles to join duty when these unfortunate incidents happened,” said DAK President, Dr Suhail Naik.
The doctors’ body said the incident had caused immense sufferings to patients of the department where these doctors were supposed to perform their duties. “Instead of joining duties they were trying themselves to get released from the police stations as if they were criminals,” DAK deplored.
Medical Faculty Association (MFA) Government Medical College Srinagar and Government Dental College Srinagar in their statements also condemned the incidents of “abusive behaviour” of police personnel towards doctors. “Such unfortunate incidents are disturbing and intolerable to the entire medical fraternity,” they said.
The Resident Doctors Association at Government Medical College Srinagar and associated hospitals while denouncing the thrashing of doctors in a statement said, at a time when the whole medical fraternity was working tirelessly and risking their lives in battling the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, such incidents were unfortunate.
Society of Consultant Doctors (JKSCD) in its statement expressed deep regret over a series of unfortunate incidents taking place over the course of past few weeks in which doctors including senior doctors, paramedics and reportedly healthcare professionals were harassed and misbehaved with by police while they were on their way to discharge professional duties.
Peoples Democratic Party leader Rauf Butt in a statement said “I strongly condemn such acts and urge the authorities not only to take cognizance of the matter but also order an impartial probe and the guilty be brought to book.”
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