Haflong doctors to suspend work from today

HAFLONG, Oct 31 – All the doctors of Haflong Civil Hospital have vehemently condemned yesterday’s kidnapping of a doctor from his residence at gunpoint by some unidentified miscreants while demanding adequate security to them.

It is learnt that yesterday around 2.30 pm, one doctor of Haflong Civil Hospital was kidnapped from his official residence at gunpoint by unidentified miscreants without any prior notice or demand. After taking him near Mahur they demanded Rs 10 lakh as ransom. However, he was later released around 9.20 pm.

Since 1999, the doctors’ community of Haflong has been under security threat. The then superintendent of Haflong Civil Hospital was kidnapped. Though he was released later, he succumbed to his injuries sustained during torture by the kidnappers. Earlier, all the doctors on September 9, 2009 had requested the administration to upgrade the police outpost by deployment of armed forces with siren system, to restrict parking of all thevehicles, to transport doctors on night duty by ambulance, and to investigate into all the illegal liquor shops and antisocial activities in and around hospital campus and take proper action thereafter.

It is to be mentioned here that, the absence of security wall surrounding the hospitalcampus has been encouraging these antisocial elements to carry on their nefarious activities. Only recently, a few incidents of murder, snatching, etc., near the hospitalcampus were reported but nothing was done to prevent such incidents by the administration, the people here alleged.

As the district administration seemed to be callous regarding the demand of doctors to provide adequate security in the hospital campus, all the doctors decided to suspend their routine duties from tomorrow.

All the civil organizations of Dima Hasao have appealed to all not to harass the doctors’ community for the greater interest of entire populace of the district.