Phagwara, November 12
Tension prevailed at the Civil Hospital here after Emergency Medical Officer (EMO) Dr Ashish Jeitly was assaulted by some residents of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar (Tibbi) today. The suspects became agitated after an injured youth died at the hospital.
After the assault, the staff, including medical and para-medical employees, suspended their work and sat on a dharna outside the hospital.
The 16-year-old youth, identified as Anuj, a resident of Tibbi, Phagwara, was run over by a train near the Shivpuri locality on the Phagwara-Banga rail section this morning. The boy was listening to music on earphones while crossing the railway tracks around 7.30 am today.
The youth was brought to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. Angry relatives of the youth held the EMO responsible for his death and assaulted him. On hearing the news, all doctors, including SMO Dr Kamal Kishore, suspended their work and sat on the dharna in support of Dr Jeitly.
Phagwara SDM Amardeep Thind, DSP Jaspreet Singh and SHO Amandeep Singh Nahar reached the hospital to control the situation and pacify protesters.
Meanwhile, on a call given by the PCMSA, OPD services have been indefinitely suspended at all health centres in Kapurthala district.
A PCMSA team lead by Dr Vaninder Riar reached Phagwara to assess the situation. The team said the PCMSA would wait till November 21 so that the police could implement its earlier promised instructions to provide security at all government hospitals. Otherwise, they would take stronger measures, it said.
The SMO said, “The body of the deceased has been kept at the mortuary for post-mortem, which will be conducted by a board of doctors tomorrow.”
