Nine dialysis machines damaged in vandalism at Silchar Medical and Hospital, two arrested

Silchar, Aug 15: Cachar Police have arrested two employees of the dialysis centre at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) for their alleged role in the August 10 vandalism that crippled critical services.

Cachar SSP Numal Mahatta told reporters that the accused are a 19-year-old housekeeping staffer from Lala, Hailakandi and a 28-year-old technician from Tripura. "During interrogation, both of them have admitted to the crime. They have been remanded to police custody, and all possible angles, including involvement of hospital brokers, are being investigated. Those responsible for disrupting patient care will not be spared," Mahatta said.

Nine of the 14 German-made dialysis machines were damaged by miscreants who allegedly gained entry by breaking the window panes. The miscreants also smashed beds and computers. The sabotage has severely affected daily treatment of 30 to 40 patients, many of whom rely on the service due to its affordability.

Following the incident, SMCH Principal Dr Bhaskar Gupta described it as "a clear case of sabotage," stating that higher authorities, including the Director of Medical Education and the National Health Mission Director, have been alerted. "From the modus operandi, it is evident the intent was to disrupt dialysis activities that are a life-line for patients who cannot bear the cost of private treatment," Dr Gupta had said.

Hospital sources said that currently limited services are being somehow provided to ensure that patients receive treatment despite the damage.

Meanwhile, a governing body meeting of SMCH was held on Thursday to discuss the vandalism and review overall security arrangements. Chaired by Silchar MP Parimal Suklabaidya, the meeting was attended by Cabinet Minister Kaushik Rai, MLAs Dipayan Chakraborty, Nihar Ranjan Das, Misbahul Islam Laskar, Cachar District Commissioner Mridul Yadav, Principal Dr Bhaskar Gupta, and senior faculty members.

According to sources, the August 10 incident was dis-cussed in detail in the meeting, with members unanimously stressing the need for stern punitive action against those responsible. The meeting also resolved to expedite repairing of the damaged dialysis machines and restore full services at the earliest.