A medical officer from Amritsar Civil Hospital who was on emergency duty on Saturday got shot and sustained injuries in the firing that went on between two groups outside his ward at midnight.

Police said that about 10:15 pm on Saturday, the fight started between two rivals, Rahul Negi and Sunny Sahota, Gajju, Gattu, Raju, Gayin in the Islamabad area. Rahul and his brother approached the cantonment police station for the registration of a case. The police had then sent the duo to the civil hospital for preparing their medico-legal report (MLR). Rahul and his brother were admitted to the civil hospital’s emergency ward after their MLR had been prepared.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) investigation, Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar said, “The accused Sunny Sahota, Raju alias Bhindi, Vijay Pardhan, Aman alias Chinu, Gattu, Barinder Singh alias Raghu and some six-seven unidentified persons reached the hospital and started fighting with Rahul and his family again. Our guards at the hospital and Dr Bhavneet tried to stop the accused. Sahota fired from his pistol and another of his accomplices also fired. During the firing, Dr Bhavneet got injured.”

Punjab Civil Medical Services Association member Dr Jaspreet Singh said the incident raised questions about how miscreants can get the courage to carry weapons at public places. The doctors association of Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts have condemned the incident and held responsible to the police administration for failing to ensure the security of the district hospital. They have threatened to go on strike, barring providing emergency services, until the issue of security of the hospital is sorted out.

Rakesh Sharma, chairman, Employees’ Welfare Association of the health department, said police had ignored their pleas for security a number of times. “When the police commissioner had to visit the hospital for covid-19 vaccination, over 20 police guards were deployed, but hospital staff has no security.”

The violence has been reprehended by IMA and they have demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.