NMA to halt all but emergency services on Sunday to protest police highhandedness

KATHMANDU, Feb 11: Nepal Police has admitted its flaws in an incident of manhandling a doctor of the National Trauma Centre on Friday during the presidential escort. After initially denying any wrongdoing, police on Saturday took a swift decision to suspend senior head constable Shambhu Gurung who baton charged senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Janith Lal Singh for walking on the road while the president’s motorcade was on the move.

The decision to suspend the senior head constable comes after Nepal Medical Association announced to halt all but emergency services related to healthcare across the country on Sunday as a protest against the highhandedness of police.

Nepal Police Spokesperson DIG Posh Raj Pokharel confirmed that Gurung, who allegedly beat up Dr Singh, has been suspended.

Only a day ago, the police had been accusing the doctor of assaulting the police personnel on duty first. However, instead of filing a case against the doctor for assaulting a policeman on duty – which is a serious offense – the police took a U-turn on Saturday after failing to produce any evidence to prove their claim.

“The doctor has been injured but the policeman on duty has not been hurt. We have found mistakes on part of the police deployed for the security of the president. Based on circumstantial evidence, we have decided to suspend the police personnel,” said DIG Pokharel.

Asked whether the senior head constable’s move to strike on the doctor’s head is against the protocol, DIG Pokharel said they are investigating the incident.

“Such an act warrants investigation. So we have suspended the police constable in question and are looking for any video footage available. There is no CCTV in the area where the incident occurred. But we are hopeful some other videos might be available on social media. Further investigation is underway,” added DIG Pokharel.

DIG Pokharel further said action will be taken against Gurung if found guilty.

“We are in the process of negotiation with the agitating doctors.”

Medical staff of Bir Hospital had briefly blocked the road on Friday after the police sergeant allegedly assaulted the doctor on duty while President Bidya Devi Bhandari was returning after addressing the Federal Parliament session.

Meanwhile, the NMA has decided to halt the entire healthcare services except the emergency ones across the country for a day in protest of Friday’s attack on medical persons by the police.

The NMA has decided to suspend all the health care services that are carried out from the government, non-government, private and other health institutions, hospitals, medical colleges and academies. However, emergency services will not be disrupted, reads a statement issued by NMA.

President of NMA Dr Lochan Karki said in the statement issued on Saturday that NMA’s serious attention has been drawn towards the attack on Senior Orthopedic Surgeon Dr Janith Lal Singh of the National Trauma Centre and other health workers.

A meeting of the executive committee of the NMA has also asked to establish an appropriate procedure to end the sufferings of the general public from the travels of the VVIP, according to the statement.

 
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