Justice sought for assaulted Sancho Hospital doctors

Ram Mani Dahal/Nayak Paudel

Makwanpur/Kathmandu, Sept 15 : Police have arrested four persons, including the wife of the deceased,for their involvement in beating doctors of Sancho Hospital of Hetauda.

 Dr. Bikash Thapa and Dr. Prashant Bidari of the Hetauda-based Sancho Hospital were beaten by a group on Wednesday. 

The assault was recorded by the CCTV of the hospital and the video has also been made public. 

The arrested persons are the wife, son, daughter and nephew of Rajesh Pradhan of Padam Pokhari in Ward No 12 of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City, who died of dengue in August.  

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Laxmi Bhandari of the District Police Office Makwanpur, they arrested wife Rama, son Amit, daughter Ramita and nephew Anup of late Pradhan.  Doctors and their associations have demanded justice for two of their colleagues who were assaulted at their workplace. 

After the beating, doctors and health workers had warned of launching a protest. 

They also demanded the arrest of all those involved in the incident. 

During a meeting with the Chief District Officer and Police Chief of Makwanpur on Thursday, the doctors warned of halting all services except for emergency from Friday. 

As per the preliminary investigation, the doctors were beaten by the kin of 41-year-old Rajesh Pradhan, a dengue-infected patient who died during treatment on August 10.

Pradhan, a resident of Hetauda, was infected with dengue when brought to Sancho Hospital on August 7. He was then referred to a more well-equipped hospital in Chitwan on August 8. However, he died during treatment in Chitwan on August 10.

"Since the death of Pradhan, the doctors of Sancho Hospital were regularly threatened with compensation. They were beaten in a planned way on September 13. 

We are saddened by the incident and demand action against the perpetrators under the Security of the Health Workers and Health Organisations Act (First Amendment), 2079," read a statement by the Nepal Medical Association (NMA) on Wednesday.

According to the NMA, the umbrella organisation of medical and dental doctors of Nepal, they will be forced to start protests if the abusers are not arrested and punished as per the law within 72 hours.

Issuing a statement on Thursday, Sancho Hospital has also warned of protests if the abusers were not arrested at the earliest. "We have no option but to take the matter to the streets if the security of health workers and organisations cannot be guaranteed," the statement read.

Associations of doctors in medical colleges and hospitals across the country have also shown solidarity in demanding justice for the doctors. 

"The doctors were assaulted and legal process has been initiated. Four of the assaulters have been arrested and others are being searched for. Further investigation is also underway," said Superintendent of Police (SP) Sitaram Rijal, chief of the Makwanpur District Police Office.

The NMA informed that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', has also assured of action against the assaulters. The prime minister pledged to take action during his meeting with NMA representatives.