Though the Government had announced that patients will not be restricted to reach hospitals in any case but there are several allegations alleging police personnel working in the field blocking and harassing people in need of medical treatment from reaching hospitals.
Scribe Subrat Swain was manhandled by police while he was taking his sick son to the District Headquarters Hospital for treatment on Wednesday morning. “I was stopped on the way near the market and abused in obscene language by two police staff. When I pleaded them to allow my son who was suffering from high fever to go to the DHH, they simply refused and manhandled me,” Swain told. About 40 mediapersons gathered near the Gandhi statue at Town Hall to protest against the police action. When prominent mediapersons face this kind of police action what about the fate of common man in the district, senior journalist Dhiren Rout lamented.
Subsequently an FIR was lodged against the police officials at the Town police station and action from the SP Keonjhar was awaited.
In another incident a person taking his sick girl child to Keonjhar hospital by motorcycle was mercilessly beaten near Khireitangiri recently. A bank employee was also beaten by police on his way to office in Keonjhar inspite of holding passes. Many other such incidents have come to light for which mediapersons have requested the police and district administration to be sympathetic towards genuine patients and public moving on emergency needs.