Hyderabad: Over 400 post-graduate doctors at the Gandhi Hospital went on a flash strike on Monday after Dr Sarita, a female post-graduate working in the emergency wing, was verbally abused by two patients.
Lakshmama from Kurnool and Narsingh from Mahbubnagar were victims of road accident and were brought to the emergency wing for treatment on Sunday night. After treating their injuries, the doctor discharged them. But the patients, and 30 others who had accompanied them, refused to go stating that they needed to be admitted in the hospital for further treatment.
The commotion forced the doctor to approach Dr Pravin, the service in-charge. Dr Pravin intervened and explained that the patients had simple injuries and would heal within a few days. But the patients and their friends abused the doctors and even manhandled Dr Pravin. The post-graduate doctors then complained to Dr Ashok Kumar, the superintendent of Gandhi Hospital , and refused to resume duty on Monday.
Dr Sai Kiran, a post-graduate student, said, “We have 55 security guards, but we need 150 of them. Outside the emergency wing, there are no guards to tackle such miscreants. Even at the entrance there was no security guard at midnight when this huge crowd walked in.” The doctors have decided to continue the strike on Tuesday. Their demand for increased security has been pending for long. Each time paucity of funds is cited as the reason.
