Patna : Action would be taken against the Darbhanga Medical College Hospital (DMCH) superintendent over the pasting of stickers of “bhukamp” on the forehead of quake victims, said Bihar Health Minister Ramdhani Singh on Friday.
“We have decided to take action against superintendent of the DMCH for pasting of stickers of “bhukamp” (earthquake) on the foreheads of quake victims in the hospital,” Singh told media persons in Darbhanga, about 200 km from here.
“Action against him would be known to all soon,” he said.
Earlier, state Fisheries Minister Baidyanath Sahni, who is also minister in charge of Darbhanga, had ordered a probe into the incident.
When victims of Saturday’s earthquake were admitted to DMCH for treatment, stickers carrying the word “bhukamp” were pasted on their foreheads. The incident was reported on Tuesday.
“Some victims told me that tag on their forehead was a big humiliation… and I was first to demand action against those responsible for it,” Sahni told IANS over telephone.
DMCH superintendent Shankar Jha has already expressed regret over the incident and claimed that it happened without an order from any one.
“It was a big mistake,” Jha admitted.
Opposition BJP’s senior leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi has termed it as an insulting act to brand victims. Another senior BJP leader and former minister Prem Kumar described it as a foolish act.
According to officials in DMCH, soon after dozens of quake victims were admitted to the hospital, paramedics had pasted stickers on their forehead for identification.
All stickers were removed soon after last Tuesday after hue and cry over the issue.