More than 85 cases of accidents registered in SMCH; Holi 2019 creates new record

It is often said that a doctors have no holiday. This got proved yesterday in Silchar Medical College and Hospital. By late evening, principal cum chief superintendent Babul Bezbaruah and all other senior doctors, interns and nurses had to report to the emergency in order to deal with the record number of cases.

Hospital sources informed us that more than 85 medico legal (ML) cases were registered yesterday, which in itself is a record number for a day. Of the 85, around 25 cases were referred to the Orthopedics department, 22 to the ENT department and rest were cases related to the Surgery department. While some were admitted to the hospital as they needed further treatment others were discharged after fast aid.

“We had to immediately mobilise our internal disaster management team,” says Dr Babul Bezbaruah. He adds, “I must give credit to the 20 – 25 doctors who worked their heart out to bring situation under control. From five o’clock in the evening we were struck by a storm of patients.”

The casualty room where the patients are first treated was running out of space, “There was no space to fit in more stretchers. In fact at one stage we had to keep patients at bay as there was no space and the beds all  occupied,” adds Bezbaruah.

Just to give a context to our readers on how significant the increase in the number of cases is, on an average about 10 to 12 medico legal cases (which means cases that need investigation from law enforcement agencies too) is registered per day in Silchar Medical College and Hospital. That number inflated to 85 yesterday, eight times more than the daily average.

“Many among the 85 patients were brought to the hospital in a toxic condition. They were either in the influence of alcohol or bhang. In fact this year we have seen a huge number of cases where the students were under the influence of bhang,” says a source from the team of medical experts that was dealing with the situation last night.

To bring the situation under control, principal Bezbaruah had to call deputy commissioner of Cachar, Laya Madduri who then sent a troop. “Remember while many of the patients were under influence, the attendants too had either consumed alcohol or something else. There were very few who were sober,” explains Bezbaruah.

At trunk road in Silchar, Doordarshan Kendra, employee Premangshu Paul Choudhury met with an accident where he was critically injured. Right in front of Capital Travels, a TATA Indica car crashed into Choudhury’s two wheeler, the collision forced him off his vehicle and he was found lying on the road. He was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Accident cases were reported in other areas of Silchar too. Near NIT point in Fakirtilla five people got in an accident where a motorbike lost its control. In Bariknagar, a motorbike and autorickshaw met with a head-on collision, such cases were reported in many other parts of Silchar too.