Chennai: Duty doctor Slapped; 100 Doctors protest Demanding Security

During the protest, the protestors demanded a security guard in each ward and also separate duty rooms for male and female interns and post-graduate students, with a cot and attached bathrooms.

Chennai: Concerned over the safety of medical practitioners inside the hospital premises, over 100 doctors attached to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital staged a protest demanding round-the-clock security at all wards at the medical facility to prevent assault cases in future.

The move comes in response to a recent assault at the hospital when a patient’s attendant allegedly slapped a 23-year-old duty doctor while he was administering the patient.

According to a recent report in TOI, an 80-year-old patient was admitted to the hospital on June 12 with diarrhoea. She was then shifted to the general ward. Around 1.30am the next day, a duty doctor Devanand put her on drips.

When the doctor inserted the needle, the patient shouted saying it hurt. Before he could react, the patient’s attendant, Jayachandran, allegedly slapped him. The hospital staff alerted the security, who rushed in and restrained the attacker, adds TOI.

Thereafter, stringently demanding apt security at the hospital, the concerned medical interns and students held a demonstration. During the protest, the protestors demanded a security guard in each ward and also separate duty rooms for male and female interns and post-graduate students, with a cot and attached bathrooms, reports The Quint.

Later, the resident medical officer was informed and a complaint was filed at the local police station. The doctors said that they performed emergency medical care, but boycotted ward work for a day.Subsequently, the police nabbed the attacker and the dean of the college, Dr Ponnambalam Namasivayam vowed to beef up the security by deploying more guards and recruit more security personnel.

The protestors have given the management time till 22 June to meet their demands.