This story is from May 15, 2020

Heckled over Covid kiosk, health worker kills self near Jalpaiguri

Heckled over Covid kiosk, health worker kills self near Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri: A 59-year-old primary health centre (PHC) supervisor in Ghughudanga, off Jalpaiguri town, committed suicide on Wednesday after he was allegedly heckled by locals in front of the PHC doctor when he was trying to set up a kiosk for collection of swab samples from residents.
District health authorities ordered a swab collection drive after more than 100 migrant workers returned from other states to their homes in Ghughudanga and adjoining areas.
Many more are on their way on Shramik Special trains.
Debashish Chakraborty was asked by the district health department to search for and identify a place that could be used as a swab collection centre. The initiative followed apprehension of a surge in migrant workers in the area.
As news spread that Chakraborty was trying to use PHC premises to set up the kiosk, locals opposed the move, claiming it would lead to spread of Covid-19 in the area. They allegedly heckled him.
In his suicide note, Chakraborty accused PHC doctor Abhishek Das Chowdhury and locals Bachhu and Poltu of being responsible for his death. “Doctor Abhishek Das Chowdhury, Bachhu and Poltu misled locals and instigated them against me,” said the note.
Chakraborty later consumed poison and jumped into a well in his house in Pandara locality of Jalpaiguri town. Police rushed him to Jalpaiguri super specialty hospital where he succumbed on Wednesday night. Chakraborty also clicked a photograph of his three-page suicide note that he posted on a WhatsApp group of his fellow health workers.

On Thursday morning, health workers and staff of the office of Jalpaiguri chief medical officer of health gheraoed CMOH Ramendranath Pramanik. The two-hour agitation ended after Pramanik promised an inquiry. He later said: “We have initiated a departmental inquiry in the death of Debashish Chakraborty.”
Chakraborty’s wife Rakhi said: “My husband was very depressed after being assaulted and kept on saying he was merely carrying out the health department’s instructions.” She alleged that “he also said PHC doctor Chowdhury had misled locals that setting up the kiosk could lead to spread of Covid-19 in the area”.
Jalpaiguri SP Abhishek Modi said: “We have started an unnatural death case for now.” Police sources said the suicide note found in the victim’s house was being examined.
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