Patient, two others held on charge of assaulting doctor

Doctors and staffs of Dimla Upazila Health Complex detained a patient and two others on charge of assaulting an on duty doctor yesterday.

The detainees are patient Saikat Islam, 18, his father Abul Kalam Azad, 50, and elder brother Shakil Islam, 20, of Babur Haat area in the upazila town.

Dr ZA Siddiki, upazila health and family planning officer, said Saikat's father and brother brought him to the emergency ward of the hospital with serious respiratory problem at 12:15pm.

On duty doctor Irfan-ur-Rashid suggested them to take admission to the hospital as Saikat's condition deteriorated and asked his father to go to the section concerned for depositing fee and take the receipt, said Siddiki.

Bringing charge of taking additional money, Saikat's father Kalam returned to the emergency ward without depositing the fee and insisted on admitting the patient, said hospital sources.

“As he refused to do this, the patient's father, brother and 10 other of their relatives swooped on him,” said the on duty doctor.

At this, other staffs of the hospital rushed to the spot, rescued him and detained the three. They were later handed over to police, he said.

Contacted, Kalam said while depositing money in the section concerned, he was asked to pay additional money instead of government recommended fee of Tk 10.

Police are investigating the matter, said Shawkat Ali, officer-in-charge of Dimla Police Station.