Doctor thrashed after death of two malaria patients in Tripura

Agartala, May 5 (PTI): A doctor has been beaten up by angry locals after two children suffering from malaria died in a PHC in Tripura’s Dhalai district, officials said on Thursday.
While locals alleged that the deaths occurred due to negligence on the PHC’s part, police and authorities of the medical establishment claimed that the two children were already in a critical condition when they were brought to the facility.
Eight-year-old Dharmita Reang and six-year-old Khalanjoy Tripura from Rajdhar village in Manikpur police station area were suffering from high fever and brought to the PHC on Wednesday. However, they later died at the medical facility.
As the news spread, locals stormed the Manikpur Public Health Centre and went on a rampage, severely assaulting Dr Pranab Debbarma, the medical officer of the PHC, because of which he suffered head injuries and is currently undergoing treatment in Agartala.
“The two children died as they were brought to the PHC late in a critical condition. Dr Debbarma sustained multiple injuries in the attack,” Manikpur PHC’s medical officer in-charge Dr Debabir Das told reporters.
The deceased’s family members have not registered an FIR, but a case has been registered in connection with the attack on the doctor and those involved are being identified and they will be booked, superintendent of police Ramesh Yadav said, adding further investigation is underway.
“The two malaria patients were in a critical condition. One of them was unconscious when he was brought to the PHC. The doctors had tried their best to save the two children,” he said.
Criticising the attack, Indian Medical Association’s Tripura unit vice-president Dr Souvik Debbarma told PTI, “Every death is sad but the way the medical officer was attacked is condemnable. We don’t expect such intolerance from society.”
He said that the IMA has taken up the matter with chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb and he has assured the doctors of doing the needful.