AIIMS Patna Scuffle: Resident doctors strike over alleged MLA Misconduct
Patna: Resident doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Patna went on a strike on Friday against the alleged manhandling of hospital staff by Sheohar MLA Chetan Anand. The incident reportedly escalated into a scuffle after the MLA's supporters allegedly attempted to enter the hospital premises. When security personnel attempted to stop them, a heated exchange broke out between the two sides.
Healthcare services were affected at AIIMS Patna on Friday as resident doctors boycotted work in protest against the alleged high-handedness of Sheohar MLA Chetan Anand.
In a letter to the medical superintendent of AIIMS Patna, the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) sought legal action against Anand and the deployment of security personnel on the hospital premises.
“The MLA, his wife and his armed guards forcibly entered the hospital area, physically assaulted security staff, threatened resident doctors with death and brandished a firearm within hospital premises. A hospital guard was brutally injured and resident doctors were subjected to threats and abuse inside their own workplace,” the RDA alleged in the letter, according to a PTI news report.
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Emergency, OPD and other services were affected as a result of the boycott.
The incident occurred on the night of July 30, around 11 pm, in the Trauma Centre when the MLA, accompanied by his wife and armed guards, arrived at the hospital to visit a patient. An argument allegedly broke out between the group and the hospital staff, which escalated into a physical altercation. Both parties later submitted complaints, accusing each other of misconduct.
On the other side, Anand, the RJD-turned-JD(U) legislator, had lodged a police complaint, alleging that staff members of AIIMS-Patna misbehaved with him and his wife during a visit to the hospital on Wednesday night.
On Thursday, he told PTI that he and his wife were mistreated by hospital staff when they went to visit a supporter admitted to the facility.
“My wife and I went to see one of my supporters admitted at AIIMS on Wednesday night. I was not allowed to enter the hospital with my security guard. This prompted my wife to intervene,” he said.
“At that moment, other staff members came and started misbehaving with my wife. They literaly thrashed her. I had to intervene. My wife sustained injuries to her wrist and back. I was also held hostage by the staff for some time. Finally, we went to the local police station and lodged a complaint,” he added.
The MLA’s mother, Lovely Anand, is the JD(U) MP from the Sheohar Lok Sabha seat.
Meanwhile, an FIR was registered on the basis of the complaint filed by AIIMS Patna administration on Thursday night, said GS Alam, the SHO of the Phulwari Sharif police station.
“Earlier, a complaint related to the incident was filed by the opponent party as well. Now, the matter is being investigated,” he said.
As per the letter, the association made four key demands:
Immediate lodging of FIR against Chetan Anand, Dr Ayushi Singh, and their guards involved in the assault and intimidation;
Deployment of adequate and permanent security personnel within the hospital premises;
A formal written assurance and public condemnation of the incident by the administration;
Implementation of concrete and lasting security protocols to safeguard healthcare professionals on duty.
The RDA warned that if their demands are not met, they would proceed with a complete shutdown of all emergency services as well.
In a follow-up letter, RDA emphasised, “We are committed to patient care, but we cannot and will not function under threats to our lives and dignity.”
“Should no appropriate action be taken by the given deadline, the entire responsibility of service disruption and its consequences shall lie with the administration and authorities who failed to ensure safety and justice,” they added, reports UNI.
