Another medical doctor attacked

Another medical doctor has been attacked, this time at the hands of thugs.

National Doctors Association president, Dr James Naipao, said Dr. Akule Danlop was returning home after attending to an emergency surgery at the Port Moresby General Hospital when he was allegedly attacked in the early hours of yesterday morning (14/07/18).

This was around 1-2am at Boroko.

During the incident, he sustained closed injuries to his left forearm.

“Dr. Danlop is a young general surgeon who is doing his higher post-masters studies in plastic surgery,” said Dr Naipao.

“Senior and junior staff, including chief anaesthetist, Dr. Duncan Dobunaba, cardiothoraxic anaesthetist, Dr. Avin Karu, anaesthetist coordinator, Dr. Lawrence Sogoromo and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Siwi Mawe from the Department of Health and Port Moresby General Hospital, attended to him.

“Emergency surgery was done at the Port Moresby General Hospital. He had a plate inserted to his left fractured ulna.

“Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Siwi Mawe, who did the surgery, said there was no compromise of his neurovascular status of his left arm, and as a surgeon, Dr. Danlop is relieved despite the setback that he will continue to use his hands for surgeries.

“He is left handed and very lucky nothing worse happened.

“The doctor is now recovering in hospital.”

Dr Naipao further said such attacks on innocent lives will continue to increase as the downturn of the economy is having an uncompromising effect and hardship on people living in towns and cities.

“As the Government is sweating to pay fortnightly salaries and wages, and businesses are secretly being sold because of the economic suffocation that is being felt, but businesses too are becoming numb and in denial to come out and warn the nation, simple people when in dire need will to resort to many options available simply to put food on the table, pay for a bus fare, give school lunch money to their kids and so on.

“However, this does not give people the reason to attack innocent lives. People attacking their same ‘people’ to satisfy their hunger is an animalistic behaviour but reflects how much suffering people are going through.

“However, it is an act of cruelty and resorting to this in the strongest term must be condemned.

“The good doctor got attacked after saving a life. He went home to recover however, he came in the way of these unknown ruthless thugs. He is lucky to have escaped death.

“At the vicinity and the time of the attack, if the public knows the identity of any person or group of people that were involved, can you please report the matter to police?

“The public must now take every precaution when walking, shopping, driving, partying and attending meetings during the daytime and night also. People in suburbs and settlements must enforce neighbourhood watch to protect each other.

“In this trying time, at the period where the nation is going through a hard time, crimes of many types and parameters will escalate, and the traumatizing of innocent lives will not be avoidable.

“National Doctors Association wishes Dr. Akule Dunlop a speedy recovery,” added Dr Naipao.

Author: 
Press release