Delhi: Doctor thrashed by patient’s attendant

New Delhi: A junior doctor was allegedly roughed up by an attendant of a patient at a Delhi government hospital on Sunday night, following which doctors went on a strike for some hours affecting services, including the emergency.

The incident happened around 10 pm when a patient suffering injuries during the Muharram processions was brought to Satyavadi Raja Harish Chandra (SRHC) government hospital.

“He was accompanied with six to seven attendants who were all drunk. One of the attendants started abusing and pushing the junior doctor on duty at the casualty ward. He also threatened him,” said a hospital official.

While the police detained the alleged accused, the doctors went on strike affecting the services at the hospital. The strike was called off after the medical superintendent (MS) reached the hospital.

“After the strike was called off, we shifted guards from other wards to the casualty ward and increased their number to 5. An FIR will be filed by the doctor who was roughed up on Tuesday,” said Sanjay Kumar Jain, MS, SRCH. 

“Safety still remains a major issue at hospitals. We will seek police’s help to beef up the security and also ask it for providing constable support. Allowing entry to many attendants creates nuisance. 

“We are thinking of limiting the attendants’ access till the main gate. In case if a patient is critical, two attendants could be allowed and only one in other cases,” said Dr Jain.

The incident is one among many cases of attacks on doctors in the last few months in Delhi. On Monday, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, IMA doctors observed a “dawn to dusk” fast calling for a Central Act in this connection.

In fact, in April, many doctors from across Delhi government hospitals had gone on a strike to protest the rise in cases of violence against healthcare professionals, affecting routine and emergency services. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had also organised a protest march, “Dilli Chalo”.