Hyderabad: Two women junior doctors in Gandhi Hospital were attacked on Wednesday by three relatives of 70-year-old Mohammed Munneer alleging that he was not treated properly which led to his death.
Mr Munner was brought to the emergency department early morning on Wednesday due to a heart attack.
The doctors tried but the patient succumbed, and relatives alleged that enough attention was not paid. After that, angry relatives hurled steel stools, meant for nurses, at the junior doctors.
The aggrieved doctors went on a flash strike, paralysing all medical, out patient and in patient services at the hospital.
The junior doctors were upset that they were attacked. Junior Doctors’ Association president at Gandhi Hospital Dr R. Kiran said, “Such attacks by relatives are frequent. We want the relatives to be arrested and cases booked against them so that others are not encouraged to do the same. We are going to have a meeting with higher officials and will not resume work if the relatives are not arrested.”
On September 17, junior doctors in Gandhi Hospital had staged a protest for two hours as there was a shortage of senior doctors. They were pacified and told that the problem would be sorted out. But the incident on Wednesday morning has again brought the issue to the fore.
Dr Sai Kiran, a junior doctor, said, “With the load of patients increasing, it is very important that there are appropriate heads of the department in different units. The lack of staff allows relatives to take on junior doctors.”
Angry doctors had a marathon meeting for three hours with the superintendent and discussed the issue with health minister Dr Laxma Reddy.
There are 80 security guards and they can be seen around during the day, but security at night is an issue that needs to be addressed.
The junior doctors, after assurance from the health minister that cases will be booked against the relatives, agreed to call off the strike.
Dr Reddy stated that the number of attendants accompanying patients must be reduced to avoid these incidents.
