Violence at Lady Hardinge Medical College, doctors announce indefinite strike
New Delhi: In a shocking and disturbing incident, a resident doctor from the surgery department at Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), New Delhi, was allegedly brutally assaulted by a mob of the patient's relatives. A video of the attack has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage across the medical community.
In the purported video, a group of miscreants can be seen cornering the doctor while the patient lies on a stretcher, with a woman by his side crying and speaking to someone over the phone. At a distance, the miscreants are seen roaming around in rage after manhandling the doctor as security guards stood nearby, asking them to vacate the area.
Demanding immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the attack, the Resident Doctors Association of LHMC has called for an indefinite strike, suspending all elective services from today. The association stated that their strike will continue until their demands are fulfilled.
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The incident occurred late at night on August 12, when a patient with severe injuries from a road accident was brought to the casualty department of LHMC for treatment. While being taken for an X-ray, the patient collapsed. Soon after, the patient’s attendant called in a mob, which entered the hospital and allegedly manhandled the surgery resident doctor.
Commenting on the incident, Dr. Sarada Prasad Sahoo, President of RDA, LHMC, told Medical Dialogues, “Every resident doctor and Chief Medical Officer was terrified of the mob. Feeling helpless, they eventually decided to remove their white coats so the miscreants would mistake them for civilians. For safety, the doctors locked themselves inside a room. Several security guards were also injured in the attack; however, the surgery resident bore the brunt of the assault.”
He further said, “Even though the government assured that an FIR would be lodged within six hours of the incident, no action has been taken by the police so far. Assault on doctors is increasing each day, with several reports pending in the police diary with little or no action taken on them. We demand the implementation of a strike law to protect medical professionals from such attacks."
In a letter addressed to the Director of LHMC & Associated Hospitals, the association stated that the brutal incident compromising not only the safety and dignity of our staff but also the security of the hospital premises.
"Accordingly, resident doctors are hereby withdrawing their services from all elective services with immediate effect. The withdrawal will remain in force until our following demands are met," the letter reads.
Strongly condemning the incident, the association demanded the registration of an institutional FIR against all culprits involved in the assault, an increase in the number of bouncers/security personnel in sensitive areas such as the casualty/emergency departments of both Lady Hardinge Medical College and Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital and restriction of entry points with controlled access, and allowing only a limited number of attendants per patient in emergencies to maintain order and safety.
"Emergency services will continue to function to avoid any compromise in critical patient care. We seek your urgent intervention to address these demands, ensure the safety of all healthcare providers, and prevent any recurrence of such incidents," the letter adds.
Extending support to the resident doctors, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) posted on the social media platform ‘X’ condemning the incident. The post read, "A resident doctor at LHMC was assaulted by a mob in the casualty. This is unacceptable. FORDA stands firmly with LHMC RDA in demanding immediate action, stronger security & institutional FIR. Protect those who protect lives."
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