JnK Health Minister condemns SMHS Hospital shutdown, vows action against doctors

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakina Itoo on Friday strongly condemned the shutdown of medical services at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital in Srinagar associated with Government Medical College (GMC), during a protest by doctors following the alleged assault on a resident doctor by a patient's attendant. She assured strict action against those doctors responsible for disrupting patient care.

This came after the doctors suspended all medical services, including emergency care, and shut the hospital’s main gates, bringing patient care to a complete standstill. As a result, many patients were left unattended and had to leave after waiting for hours in frustration. Several critical patients also suffered as doctors refused to provide treatment.

The protest erupted after a resident doctor was allegedly slapped by an attendant on Wednesday night following the death of a patient in the emergency ward. Medical Dialogues had reported that a third-year postgraduate resident doctor from the Medicine Department at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital, affiliated with Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, was allegedly brutally assaulted by a patient's attendant following the patient's death. CCTV footage from the hospital's emergency ward, which has gone viral on social media, shows the attendant slapping the doctor inside the ward.

Also read- GMC Srinagar PG Medico Assault: Colleagues stage Protest, demand strict action

In protest against the alleged assault on a third-year postgraduate resident doctor from the Medicine Department, hundreds of doctors at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital, affiliated with Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, staged a massive strike on the campus, condemning the assault and demanding strict action against the culprit.

As part of the agitation, the protesting doctors suspended both the Outpatient Department (OPD) and emergency services and continued to do so until the accused was arrested. The accused was taken into custody by police shortly after the incident. He allegedly slapped the doctor after his brother-in-law died during treatment.

While acknowledging that the assault on the doctor was wrong, the health minister said stopping medical services in response was not acceptable. “The (slapping ) incident should not have happened. Unfortunately, why such situations arise and that these kinds of incidents happen in hospitals. And if any person had done anything, then there are proper laws to deal with that. There should have been legal recourse, not that the hospital is closed. The patients who came yesterday and suffered because of no treatment should not have happened. That will also be investigated, and action will be taken,” she said.

Several media channels reported that the doctors during the protests blocked the emergency, closed the operating theatre, stopped patient care, and even manhandled journalists.

Speaking to HT, Minister Itoo said that patients should not suffer because of the actions of one person. "What was the fault of patients if just one person had done anything wrong. Why are you punishing all others? We agree that if anything happened, that should have been dealt with according to the law".

Further, she said, "Police and (health) department could have been informed that such (assault) incidents should not happen, but the way the patients were made to suffer, the operation theatre was closed, wards and emergencies were closed. That was very wrong, and it won’t be tolerated. If any negligence was done in patient care, this won’t be accepted and is unjustifiable,” Itoo said.

Itoo said that doctors need to treat patients with decency. “It is true that doctors are not magicians, and their work is just to treat. They have to do it up to their capacity and with proper behaviour. Their behaviour with patients as well as attendants should be decent because the incoming people are in distress,” she said.

“But then the OT and emergency were closed, and patients were running here and there in distress, which won’t be tolerated. There will be action...,” she said.

Also read- Caught on camera: GMC Srinagar 3rd year PG medico slapped by patient's attendant