Assault on Junior doctor at LLRM Medical College: Protesting doctors resume work after Safety Assurances

Meerut: In response to the alleged brutal assault on a junior doctor at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial (LLRM) Medical College in Meerut, around 250 agitated junior resident doctors submitted their collective resignation on Tuesday in protest against the institution's inability to provide a safe working environment to doctors. However, the doctors who sat in Dharna for three days agreed to return to work following assurances from the police and medical college administration.

The strike was initiated following the brutal assault of a doctor in the emergency department on Sunday, who was attacked with an iron wrench after a female patient died in the emergency department. The incident caused significant head injuries, requiring the doctor to receive stitches.  

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As per HT news report, the incident took place after a woman patient was brought to the emergency department of the medical college on referral from another hospital. The patient was first admitted to the district hospital on Monday for a uterus operation. Following the surgery, her blood levels dropped. Due to her critical condition, the doctors at the district hospital at around 9 pm referred her to LLRM Medical College in Meerut. The doctors at this medical college examined her but she unfortunately passed away due to cardiac arrest on Monday night. 

Accusing the doctors of laxity in duty, the family members, the deceased son and his friends blamed the doctor for the death of their patient. The angered family members then allegedly assaulted and thrashed the doctor brutally.   

Strongly condemning the attack on the doctor and criticising the medical college authorities for the alleged inadequate security on the premises, the junior resident doctors boycotted work demanding action against the culprits. The doctors earlier refused to work and threatened to initiate a strike until all the culprits were arrested within 12 hours. 

An FIR was registered against two people based on the complaint of the assaulted doctor. Although one accused was arrested, raids were on to nab the main accused in connection. Due to the alleged failure to nab the accused within the given time, the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) went on strike. 

As a result of the strike, emergency services, including NICU, PICU and the labour room, were shut down, forcing patients to seek treatment elsewhere. The junior doctors sat on dharna blocking the entry of visitors in the emergency wing on Tuesday. 

After a video surfaced online showing resident doctors physically assaulting and verbally abusing attendants of patients and vandalising a car during the strike as per TOI news report, the junior doctors handed their mass resignation to the principal of the medical college demanding immediate arrest of those who were involved in attacking junior doctor.

In a letter to Principal RC Gupta of the medical college, the Resident Doctor Association of the medical college wrote that they are resigning due to "breach in safety measures".

"With due respect, this is to inform you that we the resident of LLRM Medical College after gathering and discussing the matter that happened last night causing grevious hurt on resident and inability of institution in providing safe working environment we are giving our mass resignation we all are unsafe to work in a life threatening situation. We are shutting down emergency (including NICU, PICU, labor room emergency) services and electives. Sorry for the inconvenience", stated the letter.

However, after the police and medical college authorities gave assurances of adequate security for doctors at the workplace and appealed to the protesting doctors to return to work, the junior doctors agreed to return to work and they joined duties on Tuesday night.

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