On Wednesday, around 50 junior doctors had gone on strike after an alleged clash with some attendants of patients.
The Kanpur Nagar district magistrate Thursday ordered a probe into the alleged deaths of three patients at Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital, amid a strike on Wednesday by junior doctors of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, under which the hospital falls. On Wednesday, around 50 junior doctors had gone on strike after an alleged clash with some attendants of patients.
Police said trouble started when junior doctor Shakti Mishra allegedly misbehaved with an attendant, Shalu Saroj, who was waiting at the radiology department to get her father’s X-ray. Mishra allegedly slapped and abused Saroj when she stopped him from sending his patients for X-ray by jumping the queue. Two cross FIRs were later registered in the matter at Swaroop Nagar police station.
While additional director (medical health and family welfare) for Kanpur division has started a probe, in a report submitted to District Magistrate Surendra Singh, medical college Principal Dr Navneet Kumar claimed that only two deaths were reported in the hospital that day in wards that were unaffected by the protest.
When contacted, the DM said: “I have not received any complaint in the matter…. but considering media reports, I had sought a report from the principal. According to his report, there were two deaths in the hospital on Wednesday…. of 50-year-old Charan Singh and 30-year-old Preeti Gupta. It claimed that both died in different wards and the deaths have nothing to do with the protest, as only emergency services were stopped.”
Additional Director O P Vishwakarma said the junior doctors had returned to work on Wednesday itself. “The reason behind the deaths and whether the protesting doctors are responsible, is a matter of probe,” he said, adding that he will soon submit his report to the DM.
Swaroop Nagar police SHO Rajiv Singh said: “While Mishra got an FIR registered against Saroj and her husband on charges of assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty, and loot, the other was registered against him for harassment and verbal abuse. Mishra was also charged under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as Saroj is a Dalit.”
He added that the clash and the protest by junior doctors continued for around two hours .
“This was not the first case of clash between attendants and junior doctors at the hospital… A day before, two cross FIRs were registered by an attendant and a junior doctor in a similar clash,” said Kanpur Nagar (West) SP Gaurav Grover.
Despite repeated attempts, the medical college principal could not be contacted for comment.