Dhanbad Medical College Physicians Protest Assault on Colleague
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Synopsis
Medical services at SNMMCH in Dhanbad faced major disruptions as doctors protested the assault of a senior resident doctor by relatives of a deceased patient. The strike lasted over eight hours and raised concerns about the safety of medical personnel.
Key Takeaways
- Protest initiated after a doctor was assaulted.
- Emergency services halted for over eight hours.
- Demands for FIR registration and arrests.
- Concerns over safety of medical staff.
- Calls for improved hospital security.
Dhanbad, April 10 (NationPress) Medical operations at the government-operated Shaheed Nirmal Mahato Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH) in Jharkhand's Dhanbad faced significant disruptions for more than eight hours on Thursday as doctors initiated a strike following the assault of a senior resident doctor by the relatives of a deceased patient, as reported by officials.
In reaction to the attack, the medical staff ceased work at 2 a.m., resulting in a complete halt of emergency services within the institution.
The hospital reported that the incident transpired late Wednesday night when a young girl, who was admitted to the pediatric department due to a snake bite, succumbed during treatment.
The girl’s relatives, attributing her death to medical negligence, created a disturbance and physically assaulted the senior resident on duty.
In solidarity, other medical professionals at the hospital expressed their outrage by suspending all medical services, including those in the emergency department.
During this time, critically ill patients could not be admitted, and many were forced to leave without receiving necessary treatment.
The outpatient department (OPD) services also experienced significant delays for several hours on Thursday morning.
The protesting doctors demanded the immediate filing of a First Information Report (FIR) and the arrest of the perpetrators involved in the assault.
They also voiced concerns over the increasing frequency of violent incidents against medical staff and insisted on the establishment of adequate security measures at the hospital.
Officials from the Saraidhela police station arrived promptly at the scene and worked to calm the situation by pacifying the agitated individuals. However, the doctors remained firm in their decision to refrain from work until assurances regarding their safety were provided.
It was only after Medical College Superintendent Dr D.K. Gindourian intervened and engaged in discussions with the striking doctors that services began to resume gradually. By Thursday afternoon, normal operations were restored across all departments in the facility.
This incident once again underscored the rising vulnerability of healthcare professionals to violence and raised fresh concerns about the necessity for enhanced legal protections and improved security measures within hospitals.
