Sewri tuberculosis hospital: Seven minor patients, their parents ‘thrown out’ for ‘turning off lights’

On Wednesday night, the parents alleged that a nurse allegedly threatened to inject their children with something poisonous. (Representational Image)

Seven minor patients and their parents were allegedly thrown out of the Group of Tuberculosis Hospital in Sewri, popularly known as the Sewri Tuberculosis (TB) hospital, by nurses and ward boys late Wednesday over switching off lights in the children’s ward.

While the patients’ families claimed that the nurses and ward boys threw them out, the hospital staff alleged that a scuffle had broken out between the family members and the nurses. On Thursday, Assistant Municipal Commissioner Idzes Kundan dismissed three nurses and suspended another.

Tajjudin P, a parent from Kandivali, said the entire issue is about switching off of lights. “In the children ward, we have been keeping one light switched on as the children are scared of the dark and they also wake up at odd times. However, the nurses and the attendants came and scolded us on Sunday… they claimed that this is a government hospital and lights can’t be switched on throughout the night.”

“On Monday, we approached senior doctors, as the nurses had stopped giving our children food. They said that they will take action, but the nurses on night duty started fighting with us,” he added.

On Wednesday night, the parents alleged that a nurse allegedly threatened to inject their children with something poisonous. Following this, the seven children, two of them bedridden, went to the Mahim Dargah along with their families and held a protest against the hospital.

“However, police officers and doctors convinced them to return to the hospital. On Thursday afternoon, medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Lalitkumar Anande, ensured that all children were readmitted,” said Shankar Mugalkhod, a social activist.

When contacted, Anande said, “I had dispatched a team of doctors and counselor with an ambulance to bring the children back. There was some issue with the ward nurses and the families of the patients.”

Kundan, who visited the hospital after the incident, said: “According to the report I received, the parents and the hospital staff were involved in a scuffle. I went to the hospital unannounced and found one of the paediatric nurses extremely rude. I have suspended her. Three other nurses, who were not only rude but also indulging in unionism and insubordination have been shunted out.”

“Though our doctors are good, I will not allow such indiscipline by the nursing staff… I would also want the patients’ family members to behave decently,” he added.