LHMC doctor assaulted for refusing to admit brought dead patient

New Delhi: Continuing the incidents of violence against doctors, yesterday resident doctors belonging to Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) were assaulted by the family of a minor patient after the doctors denied admitting the child who was brought dead to the Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, New Delhi.

Taking a stand, the Resident doctors of LHMC had decided to withdraw from all services (Routine as well as emergency). However, soon the administration of the medical college interfered and lodged an institutional FIR regarding the issue. 

Since LHMC agreed to all the five demands of the medicos, the Resident doctors of the institute have resumed all services with immediate effect. Writing to the Director of the Institute in this regard, the Resident Doctor's Association (RDA) of the institute mentioned, "Considering the patient care in mind and assurance given by competent authority we are resuming all the services with immediate effect. Although if no necessary actions will be taken and culprits will not be arrested, we'll be compelled to resume our protest."

The various demands of the doctors included - filing an institutional FIR regarding the matter, increasing the numbers of bouncers for each high risk and vulnerable areas, setting up a committee to identify vulnerable areas and strengthen the security, strengthening of the existing Quick Response Team immediately, and strict implementation of one patient- one relative protocol in hospitals.

Providing details about the incident, the General Secretary of RDA LHMC, Dr. Sarada Prasad Sahoo informed Medical Dialogues that the concerned child was earlier admitted in the hospital and the family of the patient had taken a leave against medical advice (LAMA). However, hours later, the family of the patient came back and the child was allegedly brought back dead.

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"When the doctors denied admitting the brought dead child, the parents of the child started threatening the doctor saying "Tujhe dekh lenge". Then after one and half hour around 8-10 people came and entered our unit with helmet and heavy objects and started beating up our on-duty resident doctors," said Dr. Sahoo.

"One of the doctors was hit with a helmet and therefore got head injury. However, thankfully he had no internal bleeding but he still has pain in his left arm," he further mentioned.

Although the doctors had decided to stop all services the Institute authorities came forward quickly and issued an order in this regard today. The order mentioned that the institute has decided to lodge an institutional FIR regarding the issue. Besides, LHMC authorities also agreed to the other demands of the doctors.

"In the matter of the incidence of physical assault on some of the Resident Doctors of Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, New Delhi in the late evening of 18th May 2022 brought to the notice of the Hospital Administration, the Administration has taken a serious view and has decided to lodge an Institutional FIR on immediate basis and case should be registered under The Delhi Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of violence and damage to property) Act 2008. DCP, New Delhi District, Delhi Police is to be conveyed regarding the follow up action in this aspect," read the order issued by LHMC Director.

"Further the Administration has decided to constitute a Committee to look into identifying the vulnerable areas and strengthen the security arrangements with the available bouncers. However, issue regarding increase of the number of Marshals/Bouncers will be taken up with the competent authority," it further mentioned.

"It has further been decided to strictly implement one patient one attendant protocol in the Hospital for all patients and strengthen the available Quick Response Team (QRT) with immediate effect. At the same time Administration appeals to the Resident Doctor's Association to withdraw the strike immediately in the larger interest of the patient care services," further read the order issued today.

Meanwhile, supporting the doctors of LHMC, RDA RML also came forward and mentioned in a release, "RDA RML strongly condemns the physical assault on duty Resident Doctors by a patient's relative at LHMC on 18/05/2022. We stand in full solidarity with the resident doctors of LHMC and demands strict action against the culprits with FIR under relevant sections of The Delhi Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of violence and damage to property) Act, 2008. We also demands the authorities for arrangement of adequate security guards and bouncers for maintaining and avoiding such brutal incidents against doctors. Recently there is a attempt to remove the existing bouncers in multiple Central government institute in the times when violence towards doctors are on the rise and we strongly condemns removal of bouncers and demands their re-appointment."

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