Sambalpur: An irate mob Thursday went on a rampage and torched the primary health centre (PHC) at Themra in this district over the absence of doctors. They also torched a jeep parked on the premises and vandalised an ambulance over the issue.
Besides, the angry people blocked the Paramanpur-Themra highway for over three hours pressing for the fulfillment of their demands.
On being alerted, SDPO Brahmanand Gagarin Mohanty reached the spot and pacified the agitating people.
Properties worth lakhs were reduced to ashes while the police registered a case and started an investigation.
The incident was triggered by the death of a person in a road accident. A man also sustained critical injuries in the incident.
According to reports, a biker Kishore Panda (50), son of Uday Narayan Panda, of Giripali village rammed Agasti Seul, a farmer of the village who was crossing the highway Thursday afternoon with his bullock. While Kishore died on the spot, Agasti suffered critical injuries in the mishap. Locals rushed Agasti to Themra PHC which is just a few yards away from the accident spot. However, they found the doctor absent and a pharmacist administered treatment to Agasti.
Though people contacted the 108-ambulance service to take the patient for advance treatment, it didn’t turn up.
Meanwhile, the news of absence of doctor at the hospital spread in the village like wildfire following which people thronged the hospital. They suddenly went berserk and barged into the hospital, damaging the furniture. The mob also tossed the files stacked at the office in the air. Besides, they set a few rooms of the health centre on fire and torched a jeep kept on the premises.
Later, they staged a blockade to press for their demands on the highway by burning tyres. The demands included – round-the-clock healthcare service at the hospital with the presence of a permanent physician, immediate filling up of vacancies and construction of speed breakers on the road. Hundreds of vehicles were found stranded on the both sides of the road due to the blockade. People also vandalized a 108-ambulance when it reached the hospital.
Fire brigade personnel arrived at the spot. But the villagers didn’t allow the vehicle to enter the hospital premises. Police personnel, led by the SDPO, arrived at the spot and brought the situation under control. Later, the firemen doused the flames. PNN
