J&K doctors say forces haunt youth with pellet injuries

Srinagar: Health experts from Jammu and Kashmir have decided to approach Centre demanding a new law stopping police or armed forces from intervening in the treatment of youth with pellet gun injuries.

Trauma experts in the state claimed that they are facing extreme interference of the police and armed forces while treating patients who suffered pellet gun injuries during clashes.

“We will present a memorandum to the Central and state governments to come up or amend the existing law to stop the interference of police and armed forces and let us treat patients with injuries from pellet guns,” said Dr Showkat Ali Mufti, head of emergency medicine at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar.

Dr Mufti was speaking at the panel discussion on medical trauma on the sidelines of second annual Jammu and Kashmir Sciences Congress and the first conference of MPCOS society at Kashimr University. Her added that they will soon consult with the medical fraternity of the state to prepare the memorandum.

Another senior doctor from the state, who was not willing to be named, told this newspaper that the new law was basically to prevent the pellet gun victims from being haunted by the police and armed forces.

“Normally what happens is that pellet gun victims do not want to come to hospital for treatment as they are afraid of arrest. Therefore, it is extremely important to bring in some law to prevent the victims,” he said.

Doctors also said currently the police and Army in the state was such that any pellet gun victim approaching the hospital for treatment were being chased. “Many a times these pellet gun victims do not even tell their original  name to evade arrest, “The doctor said.