Around 300 junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital boycotted COVID duties after a third-year Post-graduate who declared death of a COVID-19 patient at the hospital was allegedly attacked by the patient’s attendants on Tuesday evening.
The attendants allegedly threw a plastic stool and iron stool at the junior doctor who received minor injuries.
A similar incident had occurred in April. Attendants of a COVID patient attacked another junior doctor after the patient died. The alleged attackers too had coronavirus.
Post-graduate medical students, House Surgeons (MBBS Interns) come under the umbrella term Junior Doctors.
Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA), Gandhi Hospital unit president Dr Lohit Reddy said the third-year PG student Dr Vikas was attending a 55-year-old patient admitted in Acute Medical Care (AMC) ward.
The patient who was admitted three days ago suffered from mild respiratory failure and was supported by CPAP (medical devise).
“Though poor prognosis was explained, the patient went to washroom removing CPAP mask where he had cardiac arrest. He died at around 7.30 p.m., ” Dr Lohit said.
The patient’s attendants were informed of the critical health condition and two of them were allowed into hospital. When Dr Vikas declared the death, the two attendants allegedly attacked the junior doctor. It remained unclear whether there was any argument before the assault.
“The patient attendants attacked the PG with plastic chair which was broken. They took iron stool and hit him again. In defence, he moved away but the iron stool struck on his hip. There were other doctors, house surgeons and five nurses. Chairs were thrown at the other staff,” Dr Lohit alleged.
TJUDA members demanded Special Protection Force (SPF) at all emergency section as assured earlier by the government. They also demanded to decentralise COVID-19 cases, from Gandhi Hospital to other hospitals. The junior doctors alleged that Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines were not followed at the only COVID Care Centre in the State. They threatened to boycott duties till their demands are met.