SRINAGAR: Doctors at Chest Diseases Hospital were allegedly manhandled by attendants of a patient including a DDC member accompanied by security guards. The incident triggering a strike at the hospital on Wednesday.
As part of the strike, which started in the morning, non-emergency services are currently shut, affecting patients at one of the main hospitals catering mostly to chest related diseases, sources said.
“On Tuesday late night attendants of a patient attacked doctors and other staff besides vandalized hospital infrastructure. Also security personnel of one of the attendants who is said to be a DDC member had pointed out gun at the doctors on duty,” news agency GNS quoted Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, Head of the Department at the Hospital as having said.
“They did not even allow doctors to see the patients by locking up them inside a room,” he said.
Hospital sources said that a female patient was brought to the health facility and admitted in the Emergency Ward on Tuesday (June 7) morning.
“The doctors on assessing the condition of the patient started the required treatment. At around 2 PM, the attendants of the patient took the patient to the washroom, returning wherefrom she collapsed as her overall condition showed major deterioration at around 4:30 PM,” said doctor Zaid, adding, “With the doctors pressing to resuscitate the patient, several people attending the particular patient came in between and indulged in a verbal altercation with the doctors-on-duty.” In the meantime, he said, attendants including one who claimed to be a “DDC member escorted by personal guards” barged inside, obstructing the doctors from performing their duties.”
“Outnumbering the doctors and medical staff, the attendants thrashed several of them and locked them inside the room,” he said. They also vandalized the hospital infrastructure.
“Due to such vandalisation, manhandling and murderous attempts of the attendants, the patient in question could not be attended to in time. Not only was the patient in question but also the lives of other patients in the ward were also put at stake by the mischievous and unruly attendants”, he said.
“The attendants also took away the records (medical reports file) of the patient in question, trying to leave no record behind to avoid identification.”
Meanwhile police have registered a case for under IPC sections of 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 354 (whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty) and Section 3 Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act.
“We have registered the case in this regard under FIR 54/20222 U/S 353,354, IPC and Sec 3 Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act and further necessary action as warranted under law is being taken,” the report quoted SSP Srinagar Rakesh Balwal as having said.
Meanwhile, the RDA of GMC and Associated hospitals vehemently condemns the
incident of manhandling of medicos at CD Hospital.
In a statement RDA said that these incidents
disrupt the approach of a doctor treating a patient.
“The society should understand that we the doctors try to do our level best for the
patients, but there are times when the efforts fail in the face of the disease,” said RDA in a statement.
“Our aim as doctors is to provide the best possible healthcare to the patients with the resources available to us. This harmony between the doctors and patients cannot be achieved when there is violence
against doctors,” they said.
“A doctor cannot perform his duties when he is
himself at risk of physical and mental abuse. We cannot ask residents to continue to work in an environment of fear,” they added.
“Time and again we medicos have faced the scourge of the society for the issues that lie beyond our capacity,” said RDA in a statement.
“Countless times residents in different hospitals associated with GMC Srinagar have experienced abuse , be it physical , verbal or mental,” they said.
“The administration needs to take up this issue on priority basis, and ensure that the culprits are not spared in order to prevent such incidents from happening, as providing a safe working environment for doctors is absolutely essential for proper healthcare delivery,” they added.
“Inaction on their part despite the increasing nature of such violent incidents would decrease the morale of medicos on the frontlines,” said RDA in a statement.
