JOIN USResident doctors at Lady Hardinge Hospital went on an indefinite strike on Thursday evening after some of their colleagues were allegedly assaulted by relatives of a child who died during treatment.
The family members of a three-year-old girl admitted at the government hospital allegedly attacked doctors on duty in the early hours of Thursday after the child died. The doctors have demanded better security measures at hospitals. A doctor was bit by an attendant with the child and another received deep scratches, alleged doctors.
A woman was arrested after police registered an FIR. The girl was admitted at the Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital under the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC). LHMC has two hospitals under it – Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital and Sucheta Kriplani Hospital.
“Doctors from both the hospitals have decided to go on an indefinite strike,” said Dr Ravinder Chauhan, member of resident doctors’ association at LHMC. The child suffered from encephalopathy. According to doctors, the patient’s family was told that she was in a critical condition.
“The patient expired around 4.30 am. Around half-an-hour later, a mob comprising at least 15 people arrived at the paediatrics ward,” said Dr Vikram Bhaskar, senior resident doctor at the paediatrics department.
“They were carrying rods. Doctors ran inside for cover and the guards ran away. Two of the mob members were in an inebriated state. One woman bit a doctor while the other one scratched another doctor’s hand,” he said.
“The family was from Sarai Kale Khan, according to the hospital register. The mob was violent even though the family was clearly told in advance that the patient was brought in a serious condition to the hospital,” said Dr Bhaskar.
The resident doctors association has demanded better security measures from the hospital administration. “The authorities have promised us better security arrangements and CCTV cameras in the hospital. However, these incidents keep recurring and things have not improved for resident doctors,” said Dr Chauhan.
Doctors have repeatedly protested against the rising number of attacks on them at hospitals. Recently, attendants of an accident victim vandalised hospital premises after the patient succumbed to his injuries.
Doctors at government hospitals have gone on strike several times demanding better security. The Delhi Medical Council (DMC) also held a meeting recently over cases of assault on doctors in the capital.
Council members, police, representatives of Federation of Doctors Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association and Delhi Medical Association had then debated how to improve the doctor-patient relationship.