Medicines can cure, but it’s the doctor, who inspires his patients and gives them the strength to fight diseases from within. Patients entrust their most valued possession, their health, in the hands of a doctor. In return, they expect them to grant them a second chance at life. The medical profession is a noble profession. Doctors acquire in-depth knowledge, put in relentless efforts and show great patience when serving others. The word ‘doctor’ itself symbolizes scientific truth and rationality. What if, their insensitivity, superstition, and recklessness jeopardize patient’s lives? Something similar happened in Barmer, Rajasthan.
In a weird incident, a doctor in Barmer allegedly slapped a ‘possessed’ woman, rather than using the standard medical profession to revive her. The patient, a resident of Sondi village, was rushed to Barmer district hospital on Wednesday morning after she lost consciousness. Her family informed that someone held her from the back and snipped her hair when she was cooking food, which is why they thought that evil spirits possessed her.
Dr. Surendra Bahri, who was handling her case, attended her that evening. When the family informed him about the events, Dr. Bahri said he would exorcise her. According to the witnesses, the doctor lighted incense sticks near her bed, pulled her by her hair and slapped her to ward off evil spirits—an act caught on the camera. The video highlighting the doctor’s pathetic attempts at exorcism went viral on social media.
Rajasthan government ordered an investigation into this matter. A committee led by Dr. Mansuria, comprising of 3 doctors, conducted an inquiry after seeing the video. The source of this problem traces back to a rumor prevalent in Bikaner. There were reports of a supernatural being that allegedly leaves marks on women’s bodies and cuts their hair.
Rajasthan government ordered an investigation into this matter. A committee led by Dr. Mansuria, comprising of 3 doctors, conducted an inquiry after seeing the video. The source of this problem traces back to a rumor prevalent in Bikaner. There were reports of a supernatural being that allegedly leaves marks on women’s bodies and cuts their hair.
An incident like this happened in Jodhpur a couple of days back. A woman, who admitted to trimming her hair herself, felt unconscious and was taken to the hospital. The doctors suspect that the supposedly ‘possessed’ women are in desperate need of psychiatric treatment as they may be suffering from hysteria or depression. Following this incident, Mr. Gangandeep Singla, Superintendent of Police, Barmer asked the people to avoid such rumors. He asked the public to report superstitious gossipers to the police.
Failing to comply with the SP’s order, the family in Barmer entrusted the patient in Dr. Bahri’s care. On a surprising note, Dr. Surender Bahri complained of dizziness and admitted to ‘forgetting’ the treatment administered to the female patient, in an interview with the HT reporters.
The entire incident was a blow to Raje government’s efforts to end superstition and witch-branding—social evils that were rampant in Rajasthan. In an attempt to prevent such incident in future, Raje government suspended the doctor. This commendable move sends a strong message to the public that the government will not tolerate slackness and superstitious activities. The act will compel other doctors to take their duties seriously. Further, it’ll discourage alleged witch-doctors from promoting superstition in villages and towns.
But then, we can’t just blame the doctor for this incident. As responsible, educated citizens of the society, we need to shun baseless rumors and superstition. We should join hands with the government to advocate rational thinking, should we want to build a progressive society for our future generations.
