Junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital struck work after three doctors were allegedly attacked by relatives of patient who died at the hospital during the wee hours of Wednesday.
According to Chilkalguda police, an elderly man named Chumilya was brought from Musheerabad to the hospital at around 12 a.m. on Wednesday. The patient’s relatives said his condition was serious, which prompted them to shift him to a private hospital. There, the relatives were told about the cost of treatment, which proved prohibitive.
“A short while after the patient was brought back to Gandhi, he succumbed. The distraught relatives attacked the doctors, the CCTV footage shows,” said Harish Koushik, Chilkalguda Inspector. Two female doctors and one male doctor were injured in the melee.
Sources say the attack on doctors turned the natural death into a medico-legal case, which saw the family protest against the doctors as the body was sent for autopsy. However, the body was handed over to the family without performing the autopsy. Enraged, junior doctors at the hospital boycotted services, crippling patient care on Wednesday. A list of demands was presented to the health minister including stepped up security at the hospital.
Later in the day, State Health Minister Dr. C. Laxma Reddy met members of the Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) with their demands including installation of more CCTV cameras.
“Those talks were successful and doctors have decided to resume elective duties on Thursday,” said a JUDA member Dr. Srinivas.
Greater security has been a long-standing demand of doctors who claim attacks are frequent on them at government hospitals. A similar incident at Osmania General Hospital saw the arrest of one man earlier this year.