Srinagar, June 8: Doctors on duty at Chest Diseases Hospital were allegedly manhandled by attendants of a critical patient Wednesday afternoon. The incident triggering a strike at the hospital today resulting in closure of Out Patient Department.
On Wednesday, patients visiting Chest Diseases Hospital faced distress and many had to return without treatment as the doctors and other staff of the hospital refused to attend OPDs. The doctors demanded strict action against attendants of a patient who had passed away at the hospital. Speaking to Greater Kashmir, a doctor who was at the hospital said the violence against doctors has become a norm in absence of punitive actions. He said while the Supreme Court has made violence against a doctor a non-bailable offence, agitated people make doctors and other healthcare staff targets of their angst. He said it is high time J&K Government sets an example and initiates swift action in the case.
Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr Saleem Tak said the incident of alleged violence took place on Tuesday evening. “A female patient from Srinagar peripheries was brought to the hospital in a critical condition on Tuesday. While we tried our best to treat her, she did not improve and succumbed in the evening,” he said. Dr Tak said the patient’s attendants started misbehaving and manhandling the staff including three female doctors on duty.
“One of the attendants had a personal security guard who was carrying a weapon. The weapon was aimed by the attendant on one of the doctors with a threat to shoot him,” Dr Tak said.
He said following the incident police had lodged an FIR 54/2022 dated 07 June under various sections. Dr Tak said the hospital catered to patients in the Casualty. “Today the OPD could not be operated. We are talking to the doctors and hopefully, we may run the OPDs on Thursday,” he said.
On the spot, the hospital was a scene of chaos and broken furniture and shards of broken glass were scattered along the premises. Many doctors said that a number of hospital property items were damaged by the attendants. “This and the assault need to be accounted for. It has been too long that the lives of doctors be protected while they perform their duties on the frontlines,” he said.