Kamal Ghorui
Araria: Tension prevailed in Forbesganj town after a controversy erupted between a senior district administrative officer and members of the medical fraternity during an inspection drive against illegal hospitals and pathology centres.The situation escalated when the district task force, headed by additional district magistrate-rank officer Ram Babu, carried out inspections of private clinical establishments. During the inspection of a clinic run by Dr Deepak Kumar, it was alleged that an altercation took place and that the officer had slapped the doctor — an allegation that sparked strong protests from the medical community.The district unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) convened an emergency meeting. Amid mounting pressure, several medicine shops, private nursing homes and clinical establishments in Forbesganj downed their shutters in protest, disrupting healthcare services in the town.In a conciliatory move, Ram Babu later visited the clinic of Dr Deepak Kumar in Forbesganj on Sunday and tendered an apology in the presence of IMA district president Dr Moiz and other representatives of the medical fraternity. The apology was accepted, bringing the standoff to an end.Following the resolution, the protest was called off. Medicine shops and private healthcare establishments resumed operations and normalcy was restored in the town.
