Srinagar, June 18: Doctors working in different hospitals in Kashmir, particularly those falling in Srinagar City, Friday alleged that they are becoming the “targets of public wrath” in absence of a foolproof security mechanism within and outside the hospitals.
 A group of medicos told Greater Kashmir that the incidents of attendants assaulting doctors have increased in the past few days in the associated hospitals of Government Medical College Srinagar. “Just two days back, a group of attendants misbehaved with a female medico at the LD Hospital after she stopped them from entering into the labour room,” the medicos said. “Soon, junior medicos there suspended work for almost hour which had an impact on the overall services there. Three more similar incidents were reported in SHMS and GB Pant hospital in the past few days.”
 Doctors accuse the security guards of “not performing their duties properly.” “The security men deployed in the hospitals remains absent during night hours. There is no attendant-control mechanism during night hours,” they said.
 Medical Superintendent of LD hospital Dr Mushtaq said that there is a “long standing perception that if doctors are harassed and threatened, they will treat the patient well.” “This perception is wrong,” he said.
 “There is a lack of awareness on doctor-attendant relation among people. This leads to multiple problems,”
 Meanwhile, President Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Dr Nissar-ul-Hassan said that stringent action should be taken against the people who intimidate or harass doctors. “We demand foolproof security for hospitals to prevent recurrence of such nasty incidents. Doctors can’t perform their duties under threat,” he said. “Government should make manhandling, assault on a doctor a non-bailable act. On an average more than 20 incidents of assault on medicos occur in associated hospitals every month. So this must be looked into.”
 Despite repeated attempts Minister for Medical Education R S Chib and Commissioner/Secretary Health MK Diwedi could not be contacted.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 18 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST