A doctor, a staff nurse and a compounder attached to the Government Hospital in Mettupalayam were allegedly assaulted by the relative of a woman who was killed in an accident late on Tuesday.
Following the incident, the medical personnel staged a protest at the hospital on Wednesday, which left the services partially affected. The protest ended around 5.30 p.m. after the police arrested the victim’s relative and another person involved in the assault.
Apart from the sections under the Indian Penal Code, the accused, R. Thangaraj and Meeran, were also booked under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Service Persons and Medicare Service Institution (Prevention of Violation and Damage or Loss to Property) Act 2008 which denies bail to the offender.
Thangaraj is the brother-in-law of Rukmini (38), who died of injuries she suffered when the two-wheeler she was pillion-riding was hit by a lorry. Meeran is known to the victim’s family.
An injured Rukmini was brought the Government Hospital at 6.55 p.m. Owing to serious injuries, the doctor on duty at the emergency ward of the hospital referred her to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) around 8.30 p.m.
Owing to alleged delay in the arrival of the Government-run 108 ambulance, the relatives hired a private ambulance and took the woman to a private hospital at Mettupalayam where she was declared dead. The relatives later took the body to the Government Hospital where they picked up a quarrel with the medical staff.
The police said that Thangaraj and Meeran assaulted duty doctor Lakshmana Kumar, staff nurse Mahalakshmi and compounder Kumarasamy.
Sources at the hospital said Ms. Mahalakshmi was injured in an ear. She was admitted to the CMCH on Wednesday. Visuals from the surveillance camera at the emergency ward showed Thangaraj attacking the medical staff and throwing a tray of medicines.
The protest at the hospital from Wednesday morning, seeking the arrest of the accused, partially affected medical services at the hospital that sees nearly 2,000 outpatients and 200 inpatients every day.
N. Ravishankar, State secretary of Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association, said the protest did not affect emergency and inpatient services. Thangaraj was arrested under Sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC and 3 (Punishment for committing violence) of Tamil Nadu Service Persons and Medicare Service Institution (Prevention of Violation and Damage or Loss to Property) Act 2008.