Srinagar, July 17: Doctors are up in arms against a Tehsildar for allegedly abusing and threatening a doctor in Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. 
 Doctors said a senior urologist Dr Munfat Malik was allegedly abused by Tehsildar Kupwara at the Handwara hospital on Thursday afternoon.  
 Dr Munfat said on the fateful day he was treating a child who was bitten by a dog. “Suddenly, a person accompanied by gunmen started to abuse me without any provocation. Due to presence of the gun-totting persons, I preferred to remain quiet. Later I learnt that the person who abused me was Tehsildar Handwara. I immediately lodged a complaint with the Medical Superintendent and Police,” he said.
 The Medical Superintendent Handwara Hospital Dr Ghulam Nabi Lone condemned the Tehsildar’s action. “We have never heard a senior Government official using such unparliamentarily language against a doctor. The official (Tehsildar) also sent his subordinates to check duty roasters just to scare the doctors,” he said.
 Commenting over the issue, the Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman said he has taken it up with the district authorities. 
 “I talked to the concerned SP about the incident. Munfat is a super specialist and feels threatened and humiliated by this incident. He is quite perturbed and we may lose a capable doctor,” Saleem said.  Pertinently, the urologist serves patients at two places, Handwara and Kashmir Nursing Home at Sonawar here. 
 Superintendent of Police Handwara, Muhammad Aslam said Police is investigating the matter. “We have brought the matter into the notice of DC Kupwara and the SDPO has been asked to investigate it,” he said.
 When contacted the Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Muhammad Shafi Rather denied the allegations against the Tehsildar.
 “I had sent Tehsildar Handwara to inspect the hospital as patients were dying there while the doctors were indulging in private practice. Actually no doctor was available at the hospital that time and there is no question of using abusive language,” Rather said.
 He said that the matter has been brought into the notice of Director Health Services Kashmir. “There is something wrong with the Health Department. The Tehsildar has sought explanation from the doctors for being absent from the duty,” he added.
 Meanwhile, the Doctors Association of Kashmir has condemned the incident demanding stern action against the Tehsildar. 

Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST