Gandhi Hospital: Two Attendants of COVID victim held for assaulting junior doctor with iron stand

Hyderabad: With the massive hue and cry over assault of a junior doctor by attendants of a COVID patient in the government-run Gandhi Hospital, the Hyderabad Police have now arrested two people stating that attack on medical staffs will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

On June 9, a junior doctor was assaulted by relatives of a 55-year-old corona patient who died at the hospital. The patient was asked not to leave the bed, but he went to the toilet. He had diabetes and hypertension and was on a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. Soon after, the patient collapsed and succumbed.

Following this, the attendants initially attacked the medico with a plastic stool and then with an iron stand, Doctor G. Srinivas, president, Resident Doctors Association (RDA), told IANS. He added that there was no policeman present in the Covid-19 ward.

The incident triggered protests by doctors who demanded additional security to prevent such incidents and deployment of special protection force at every ICU and on all floors of the hospital.

Nearly 100 junior doctors staged a protest past midnight with the flashlights of their mobile phones. They raised slogans of ''we want justice''. They threatened to boycott the duties till their issues were addressed by the government. One of the protesting doctors tweeted;

Telangana Junior Doctors'' Association (TJUDA) continued the protests on Wednesday, demanding immediate action against the accused. The junior doctors at various government-hospitals in Hyderabad and other places in the state also staged protests.

Commenting on the same, Hyderabad Police Commissioner, Anjani Kumar stated that both the accused were arrested immediately after the incident. Assuring strict action against such incidents Kumar tweeted;

"Under any circumstances attack on medical staff will not be tolerated. Most firm and stringent legal action will be taken. In this time doctors are our frontline leaders."

This was the second such incident at the Gandhi Hospital and the third at government-run hospitals in Hyderabad since April.

An on-duty doctor at the Gandhi Hospital was assaulted on April 1 by relatives of a COVID patient following his death. Another doctor was attacked by relatives of a patient at the Osmania General Hospital on April 14.

Three persons, including a COVID patient were arrested by the police in the two cases.

Also Read: Meghalaya: Patient Allegedly Assaults Duty Doctor, Ransacks COVID Facility