Tripura, August 7: Doctors of Dharmanagar District Hospital on Friday strongly refuted allegations surrounding Thursday’s controversial incident involving the death of a patient, calling the accusations “baseless” and demanding strict legal action against those allegedly involved in assaulting healthcare workers.
Addressing a press conference at the Trauma Centre of North Tripura District Hospital, representatives of the All Tripura Government Doctors’ Association (ATGDA) and Dharmanagar District Hospital said an FIR has already been lodged with Dharmanagar Police Station against those accused of threatening and allegedly assaulting doctors and hospital staff.
The press conference was attended by North Tripura Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dipak Halder, ATGDA Secretary Dr. Ashis Das Kanungo, Dharmanagar District Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Bhaskar Das, and other doctors.
According to the doctors, 60-year-old Abdul Jalal Uddin of Rajbari, Dharmanagar, was brought to the hospital’s emergency department at around 11:30 am in a brought-dead condition. Emergency Medical Officer Dr. Somali Nath examined the patient and found no signs of life before informing the family.
Doctors explained that, as per hospital protocol, an ECG is routinely conducted for record-keeping before issuing the final declaration of death. However, they alleged that nearly 60 to 70 people surrounded the patient, preventing medical staff from carrying out the procedure properly.
The doctors clarified that the ECG machine was functioning normally and had been used successfully on other patients earlier that day. They claimed the disruption caused by the crowd led to confusion, after which some attendants allegedly began creating a disturbance and attempted to physically and mentally harass the on-duty medical officers and hospital staff.
“We strongly condemn this incident. Healthcare professionals should not face threats or violence while performing their duties. We demand the immediate arrest and strict punishment of those responsible,” the association stated.
Dr. Somali Nath, who attended the patient, said she examined Abdul Jalal Uddin and confirmed that there were no signs of life. Despite informing the patient’s wife and accompanying relatives that he had already died, they repeatedly pressured her to continue treatment.
“How can a dead person be brought back to life? My colleague was physically harassed, and I was mentally traumatised by the incident,” Dr. Nath said, adding that she has also filed an FIR seeking legal action against the accused.
The doctors urged the administration to ensure the safety of medical professionals and take firm action against anyone involved in violence inside healthcare facilities.
