Srinagar, Apr 20: An attendant of a patient allegedly attacked a 2nd year postgraduate doctor, Dr Hilal Azad, from the department of surgery at SMHS here.
 Azad told Greater Kashmir that the attendant of a patient who had died on April 17 due to the colon cancer tried to “kill” him outside the emergency ward. “The attendant came closer to me and held my collar. He punched me and then tried to get something out from his shirt but I was saved by the Registrar who was walking with me,” he said.
 The doctor said the person who attacked him was the attendant of an 80-year old female patient of Habakadal who had been terminally ill. “The patient was admitted as Stage -IV colon cancer in Emergency ward of SMHS Hospital.  She was admitted for palliation and resuscitation. The patient then expired in the wee hours due to the poor state of her health,” Azad said.
  “On the day when the patient died, that time too they attacked a group of doctors but the hospital authorities soon lodged an FIR. Today around 2: 30 pm the attendant came out of nowhere and just tried to kill me nearly,” Azad said.
 He said doctors were not safe in the hospital as the patients were continuously attempting to thrash them. “It is not for the first time that an attempt was made to assault a doctor but it has occurred many times and authorities keep mum on this grave issue. We have requested even the Principal but nothing has been done in this regard,” Azad said.
 Doctors of SMHS said there should be a check on the number of patients inside the wards and proper timings should be held like that in SKIMS. 
 The Principal SMHS Dr Qazi Masood said the attendant attacked the doctor out of annoyance and it was a scene which doctors face day in and day out. “As the patient was already in the stage 4 the attendants would have been hoping for her recovery but she succumbed and out of frustration and annoyance the attendant had made a bid on the doctor,” he said.
  Dr Masood said an FIR had been lodged in the police station against the attendant.
 “Usually attendants have a grievance that doctors do not treat their patients well but that is not true and whatever is in the hands of a doctor he undertakes that in the best possible manner,” he added.
 Greater Kashmir also received a telephone call from the family of the patient, alleging doctors of negligence while treating the patient. “Doctors do not attend the patients properly. Until they don’t change their attitude they will continue to face the wrath of people,” the caller, without his mentioning his name, said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST