Hyderabad: 16 held for attacking doctor, ransacking hospital

HYDERABAD: After the death of a 38-year-old employee at a private hospital while undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at Banjara Hills, his family members have assaulted a doctor and damaged hospital property alleging medical negligence to be the cause of death. Police arrested 16 members of the deceased family, including a fashion designer, for the violence at the hospital.
According to Panjagutta police, a private employee, V Vamshi Krishna, was admitted to the private hospital on Road Number 1, Banjara Hills for Covid-19 treatment on May 9.
The patient was subsequently assigned for treatment to a senior consultant of internal medicine at the hospital. “The patient was treated as per existing Covid-19 treatment protocols. However, as the patient was not responding to the treatment that was being administered, his relatives asked the hospital to change the doctor. Accordingly, a senior consultant of pulmonology department was assigned for treatment on May 13. However, the condition of the patient continued to worsen and he succumbed while undergoing treatment early on May 22,” Panjagutta inspector M Niranjan Reddy said.
On Thursday afternoon, about 25 members, including the family members and relatives of the deceased, entered the hospital. After an argument with hospital staff, they barged into the cabin of the doctor who initially treated the patient and assaulted him. The accused also damaged computers and furniture at the hospital, sub-inspector (SI) M Satish Kumar said. .
Based on the complaint of the hospital administration, police registered a case under relevant sections of The Telangana Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2008 and the IPC. “We have arrested 16 persons, including the sister of the deceased, who is a fashion designer,” the SI said.