On-duty house surgeon stabbed by patient at Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital, 100 colleagues on flash strike

Chennai: In a shocking incident of violence against medical practitioners, a house surgeon at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai was allegedly stabbed in his neck by a patient over an argument following which nearly 100 house surgeons of the hospital staged protest demanding round-the-clock security. 

In a heated argument with the doctor, the 34-year-old patient, who was already in a rage state, grabbed a forceps from the nearby table and stabbed the doctor in his neck. Later the doctor collapsed and escaped with a major injury but was cut near the collarbone. He is currently under treatment at the ICU of the hospital. 

The patient who attacked the doctor brutally has been arrested by the police after an FIR was registered based on the complaint of the victim under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 294 (b)(uttering obscene words), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 506 (ii) (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and provisions of Tamil Nadu Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions Act.

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The instance of violence took place on Monday night when the doctor who was on night rounds witnessed the patient yelling and screaming at the nurses. The patient was admitted to the hospital due to liver failure and was throwing a fit at the nurses demanding to remove the IV line fitted to the back of his hand. When the nurses were adamant about the request, the patient began screaming and abusing paramedical staff and fellow patients in the ward. 

The doctor who was passing by the ward saw the tantrums of the patient and tried to control him by intervening in the argument, which caused him a great life threat. The doctor's act angered the patient and he snatched a pair of forceps from a table and attacked the doctor on his neck. 

This instance brings back the incident of Dr Vandana Das, who was brutally stabbed to death with scissors at a government hospital in Kerala's Kollam district, allegedly by a prisoner who was brought to the facility for a medical examination by the Police as reported by Medical Dialogues. 

Following the attack on the trainee doctor, the house surgeons of the hospital staged a protest on the premises of the hospital demanding justice for the attack and requesting security for their safety at the workplace. They claimed that their security should be considered a priority since attacks on doctors are on the rise these days. The strike affected the patients who visited the hospital for treatment and checkups. 

Speaking to TNIE, a house surgeon said, “We demand police protection 24 hours in all the wards. Till our demands are met, we will continue to boycott duty. At night even many workers won’t be there and the corridors will be empty. There is more threat during night duty hours.” 

However, the strike was soon withdrawn after E Theranirajan, the hospital dean, held talks with the practicing doctors and said that the safety of the practicing doctors would be ensured. Dr E Theranirajan informed TOI,"We have accepted the demand of the protesting doctors and sent a letter to the health secretary to provide additional police personnel at the surgery ward."

Meanwhile, health secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi wrote to Chennai Commissioner of Police Shankar Jiwal requesting additional police deployment within Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital premises as the current strength is inadequate.

As a result, city police commissioner Shankar Jiwal deployed 10 armed reserve police personnel at the surgery ward close to the emergency ward, which has a posse of police on duty. 

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