Arunachal: Two doctors attacked inside TRIHMS; assailant arrested
Medical fraternity calls 48-hour shutdown from Sept 12.
ITANAGAR- Two doctors on duty at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), Naharlagun, were grievously injured on the morning of September 11, 2025, when a 28-year-old man allegedly attacked them inside the ENT ward. The accused has been arrested and an FIR lodged, and the incident has prompted condemnation from health bodies and political parties as well as a statewide 48-hour shutdown of routine hospital services from 8:00 AM on September 12.
According to the FIR and eyewitnesses, the assailant entered the third-floor ENT ward and struck Dr Arvind Pusha, a senior resident in the paediatrics department, from behind with an iron rod. Witnesses said he followed up with repeated punches and kicks to the doctor’s head and abdomen. When Dr Tam Tariang, another senior resident, rushed to intervene, the attacker turned on him and inflicted serious wounds with a sharp weapon. On-duty nurses raised the alarm, creating panic among patients and staff; both injured doctors are undergoing treatment at TRIHMS.
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TRIHMS Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Dukhum Raina filed a police complaint at Naharlagun Police Station. Naharlagun police say they have arrested the accused — identified in local reports as Nabam Mangha — and that preliminary inquiries indicate the attacker was unhappy with the treatment given to a patient known to him. Police said investigations are ongoing and more evidence is being collected from CCTV and eyewitnesses.
Medical fraternity’s response — 48-hour shutdown
In protest at the violence, the TRIHMS Faculty Association (TFA), the Indian Medical Association (Arunachal unit), the Arunachal Pradesh Doctors’ Association (APDA) and nurses’ groups announced a 48-hour shutdown of hospital services across the state starting 8:00 AM on September 12. Outpatient departments (OPDs) and routine services will be suspended; emergency and serious care have been declared exempt and will continue to operate. The associations say further action will depend on the government’s response and on concrete security guarantees.
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Government reaction and assurances
Arunachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Biyuram Wahge met representatives of the TRIHMS medical association and condemned the assault. The minister assured steps to strengthen security at the institute — including tighter access control and round-the-clock security at entry points — and said the state will use provisions of the Arunachal Pradesh Protection of Medical Service Personnel and Institutions Act, 2019, to punish perpetrators. Officials said fast legal action is being pursued.
Background: protests over alleged medical negligence
The attack comes days after large protests at TRIHMS over the death of 22-year-old Bengia Ama Gora (from Kurung Kumey district), who died after a caesarean section on August 31, 2025. Family members and the AAPSU Women’s Wing staged demonstrations and a dharna inside the hospital earlier this month, alleging negligence and demanding accountability — a controversy that had already heightened tensions at the medical college. Local students’ and community groups had vowed to press for answers; the recent assault has added fuel to the unrest.
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Political reactions and public mood
The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee and other political leaders strongly condemned the attack on doctors, calling it barbaric and a symptom of the government’s failure to guarantee safety in hospitals. Community leaders and doctors’ bodies have demanded swift arrests, prosecution of those responsible and systemic measures — including weapon checks, stricter visitor controls, and legal safeguards for health-care personnel.
Impact on patients and next steps
TRIHMS’s normally busy OPD areas were reported empty as the shutdown took effect; patients were asked to return for non-urgent care while emergency services remained available. Police said forensic and medical reports would be taken into account as the investigation proceeds and that further arrests cannot be ruled out pending evidence. Doctors’ groups have called for immediate implementation of security upgrades and speedy justice for the victims.
