Government Rajaji Hospital: Female PG doctor assaulted by patient kin; Doctors stage flash protest

Madhurai: A 31-year-old female PG doctor attached to Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) was assaulted by the kin of a patient, after being asked to take off their shoes before entering the sterile ward. The attack triggered the fellow doctors and nurses, who boycotted OPD services and staged a flash protest demanding an FIR against the two suspects under non-bailable provisions of the Tamil Nadu Hospital Protection (TNHP) Act, 2008.

The incident took place on December 14 (Saturday) when a postgraduate (PG) student doctor, who was on duty at the Labour Theatre (LT) II in the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) block of GRH, asked two women, to remove her footwear before entering the sterile ward. The instruction did not go down well with the duo, who had visited there to attend a woman admitted for delivery and they allegedly charged the doctor physically and assaulted her.

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Soon after, the victimized doctor moved a complaint with the GRH police. The women were booked under Sections 294 (b) (punishment for uttering obscene words), 332 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty), 353 (punishment for assaulting a public servant), 355 (punishment for assaulting with intent to dishonour a person) of the Indian Penal Code, and under the TNHP Act.

Based on the complaint, one of the women was arrested and remanded while the other alleged attacker is on the run.

Meanwhile, over 150 PG doctors, nurses and house surgeons under the umbrella of Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) staged a protest in front CEmONC block, demanding non-bailable arrest of the attackers. They boycotted OPD services excluding emergency care.

Taking cognizance of the demand, Dean Dr J Sangumani, GRH assured the students and gave a written statement on the incident to the police. On the other hand, the incident has also been condemned by the Madurai branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), suggest a media report in The New Indian Express.