Military officer faces charges from medico

Samtse, February 17, 2009: In what appears to be the first case of its kind, a lieutenant of the Royal Bhutan Army will face a court call Samtse district court for allegedly manhandling health worker of the Samtse hospital indigenous medicine unit.

On January 23 at midnight at the residence of the officer Dawa near the Ghumaoney Basic Health Unit (BHU), the army officer Kuenga came along with some people and beaten up the health worker. The health officer was dragged outside the house. Family members say Dawa’s vision of left eye has been affected.

Dawa was punched on the neck and other parts of the body mercilessly forcing him to call himself as Basic Health Worker (BHW). Dawa’s family reported the case immediately to police but police officers ignored. 

In a compromise reached following day, Dawa was compensated Nu 3,000. However, family members rejected the compromise and took the case to the court.