Seven years ago, when medical practitioner Dr. Robin Kumar put away his stethoscope, never in his wildest dreams did he realise that he would have to pick it up again in some very, very unusual circumstances. But like they say, the fact is greater than fiction, and often, many of your firmly held assumptions turn out to be wrong.
The time which the good doctor did not anticipate has come now when entire India is battling COVID 19. And the place is the Barpeta Police Reserve in Assam where Dr. Kumar, now an IPS officer in his new ‘avatar’, is posted.
Serving as Superintendent of Police (SP) in Barpeta, Dr. Robin has emerged as a first-rate corona warrior. For, not only is he ensuring smooth law and order in these turbulent times, but he is also treating corona patients as a doctor! Very rarely does one find such a combination in action. And that too in civil services where a young IAS or IPS officer starts his life-journey afresh and seldom look back because the work in front of him is so vast and time-consuming.
Setting Up COVID Care Centre
‘Doctor’ Robin Sharma is reaching out to everybody who is in distress in his area of jurisdiction. They include members of the public. He has also set up a 50-bedded COVID care centre in Barpeta Police Reserve for the police personnel and their families who have been affected during the spread of the disease.
Dr. Kumar is a 2013-batch IPS officer from Assam cadre. He told a news agency that he was extremely fortunate to dedicate himself in the roles of the district police chief and a doctor. “This gives me immense satisfaction,’’ he said.
Originally belonging to Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, was a bright student in school. In fact, he topped class 10 and 12 in the entire district. Subsequently, he completed MBBS and then MD from Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College in Meerut.
The COVID centre being managed by Dr. Robin Kumar in Barpeta started after the go-ahead came from the Assam Director General of Police (DGP), Mr. Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta. Besides having four ICUs, it has 32 general wards and 14 isolation wards.
Appreciation From One And All
Dr. Robin Kumar’s unique efforts have caught the eyes of many. Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu took to twitter to recognize Dr. Kumar performing the dual job of a doctor and a police officer. Congratulating him and the entire police force of Assam, Mr. Naidu tweeted: “It is a great gesture of service. My appreciation to Shri Robin Kumar, Barpeta District SP in Assam for performing the dual role of a doctor& police officer to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. By running a COVID care centre, Dr. Kumar, a specialist in medicine, has exemplified India’s core values of ‘Share & Care’.”
Not only this, but Dr. Kumar has also been a part of various other health care drills. One of these was during his probationary service in Assam’s Sonitpur district, where he initiated a patient health check-up department for the police personnel working in Tezpur town.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, he has also initiated a health camp in Barpeta district for the police personnel above the age of 50, in which around 95 police personnel were screened. Not surprisingly, images of Dr. Kumar conducting health check-ups with a stethoscope around his neck have become viral in Assam and beyond.
Will Others Follow Suit
Barpeta Police also praised the additional service provided by their SP Dr Robin Kumar, noticing how he was going out of his way to provide medical assistance to the needy.
It’s often the case that many- if not all- civil servants come from various professional backgrounds, which are shoved under the carpet once they complete their training at the Mussoorie Academy and prepare themselves for their new roles. But once in a while, officers like Dr. Robin Kumar come along. And they prove, by actual example, that knowledge once gained remains alive in a person all his life. And when the occasion demands, it becomes our duty to put it to good use. There seems to be a lesson here for thousands of other civil servants who have professional degrees under their belts. Many of them happen to be doctors.
