SKIMS medico posts ‘hate comment’ on FB, authorities assure action
Srinagar: Keeping ethics at bay, a doctor from Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, in a Facebook live post wrote that Kashmiris need a ‘killing touch,’ rather than ‘healing touch.’ The post has generating resentment among the fellow doctors in the institution who are demanding immediate action against the doctor for his ‘disturbing’ post.
The doctor, identified as Amit Sharma—Doctor of Medicine (DM) scholar at the Department of Cardiology, SKIMS—in a post had written “Kashmir doesn’t need healing touch. It needs killing touch.’ The post has come after Lethpora attack in which 49 CRPF men were killed.
Reacting to the post and terming it as ‘disturbing’ and demanding immediate suspension of the doctors, Resident Doctors Association (RDA), SKIMS Saturday submitted a written complaint to the Director, SKIMS Dr Omar Javaid Shah, wherein they demanded that the said doctor should ‘immediately be suspended,’ while also demanding a legal action against him.
“We the resident doctors of SKIMS, Soura want to seek your attention towards a social media post by one DrAmit Sharma… The resident has posted disturbing status on his Facebook account (screenshot enclosed). In the backdrop of recent developments in the state, such acts can lead to disturbance of harmony among residents with catastrophic consequences,” the complaint submitted by the RDA reads.
While condemning the act and demanding immediate action, the letter states that it (RDA) condemns such acts and demands a ‘legal action’ as per law against the Doctor.
“We demands that the said resident must be suspended with immediate effect as he can be a threat to patients he may be attending to. The post in itself speaks of his hatred and communalism against Kashmiris. How such a person could be entrusted to treat the sick and needy people of Kashmir,” the complaint reads.
“It is requested that the matter may be put forth to the police cybercrime cell and a proper enquiry and action be taken as per law. Resident doctors of SKIMS have expressed deep anguish and anger against the said doctor. It is therefore requested that an appropriate action be taken against the same at the earliest,” the letter states.
Director SKIMS, Dr Omar Javaid Shah told ‘Kashmir Vision’ that the administration is sensitive to such acts and that such a post should not have come from a doctor.
“It is unfortunate and should not have happened, and such a post should not have come from a doctor,” he said, while saying that the administration has taken a strong note and an appropriate action shall follow.
“We have formed a 3-member committee of senior professors, who have been tasked to file its report within 48 hours, and after that appropriate action will be taken,” he informed.
Pertinently, the said doctor is out of contact as of now and his Facebook account stands deactivated, while the In-charge Medical Superintendent, DrGhulamHasssanYatoo saying that the administration was ‘monitoring’ the situation after the RDA’s complaint.
“His account is deactivated now, but we are monitoring the situation and action shall follow,” DrYatoo told ‘Kashmir Vision’.
A doctor from SKIMS however, said that they were trying to cool down the tempers, and were making sure that the situation does not go out of control.
“Whatever he has written as a doctor is unfortunate, but at the same time, we are making sure that the issue is sorted out without any escalation, which will only bring about a bad name to the profession,” he said.
Irfan Tramboo
