Guwahati: An appalling display of bureaucratic arrogance by an ACS officer has sparked massive outrage in Assam, after her disgraceful misconduct allegedly forced the resignation of Dr. Surajit Giri, a renowned “snake doctor” and a life-saving anaesthesiologist at Demow Model Hospital in Sivasagar district.
ACS officer Parishmita Dehingia’s deplorable actions are not just an attack on a dedicated medical professional but a direct assault on public health, jeopardizing critical services for countless vulnerable citizens, said social media users.
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Dehingia, serving as a magistrate in Demow, stands accused of unconscionable misbehavior and insulting Dr. Surajit Giri.
This egregious abuse of power has driven Dr. Giri, a medical stalwart with 18 years of selfless service, to resign – a decision that has sent shockwaves across Assam and sparked widespread condemnation.
Dr. Giri is no ordinary doctor. For over a decade, he has been a beacon of hope for rural Assam, single-handedly revolutionizing snakebite treatment.
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Known affectionately as the ‘snake doctor,’ his pioneering work includes developing a dedicated snakebite ward and a new treatment module boasting an astounding 100 percent success rate.
He has saved over 1,200 snakebite victims, performing more than 7,000 surgeries and treating over 3,000 snakebite cases in total. His dedication to medical service is, in his own words, his “religion.”
Yet, this unparalleled commitment was met with contempt by ACS officer Parishmita Dehingia. On July 11, in an astonishing display of overreach and ignorance, Dehingia summoned Dr. Giri, while he was attending to a woman in active labour, and subjected him to a humiliating interrogation, demanding to know why he hadn’t “done his duty well.”
This blatant interference in a critical medical procedure by an administrative officer is not only unprecedented but utterly reckless, putting lives at risk.
The sheer audacity of a magistrate, with no medical expertise, daring to dictate a doctor’s duties and insult a senior practitioner of Dr. Giri’s caliber is unacceptable. It smacks of the “know-it-all” attitude of generalists attempting to subjugate specialists – a truly pathetic state of affairs that undermines the very fabric of public service.
The public outcry has been immediate and fierce. Social media is ablaze with condemnation, demanding stringent action against Dehingia.
The Assam Pradesh Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh has vociferously demanded her immediate suspension and a thorough departmental inquiry, rightly pointing out that her “high-handed and coercive call” endangered patient care and amounted to a “life-threatening disruption of critical medical care.”
This is not Dehingia’s first brush with controversy. Disturbingly, ACS officer Parishmita Dehingia was previously suspended on September 25, 2024, for insubordination, refusing a transfer while serving as the Election Officer of Bokakhat.
Her repeated display of arrogance and disregard for rules exposes a deeply troubling pattern of misconduct that demands immediate accountability.
The people of Assam stand in unwavering solidarity with Dr. Surajit Giri, urging him to reconsider his resignation. The state administration must not only prevail upon Dr. Giri to continue his invaluable service but, more importantly, must take exemplary disciplinary action against ACS officer Parishmita Dehingia.
Failure to do so will send a chilling message that arrogant officials can operate with impunity, crushing the spirit of dedicated public servants and ultimately jeopardizing the well-being of the common people.
The time for unchecked bureaucratic high-handedness is over; Dehingia’s blatant disrespect for medical professionals and her alarming history demand nothing less than her immediate and permanent removal from public service.