Another attack on doc in city; at Nair Hospital now

SECOND INCIDENT THIS YEAR; PROTEST REGISTERED

In the second such incident this year at BYL Nair Hospital, two resident doctors were allegedly attacked by the family of a 13-year-old boy who died on Saturday. Following the attack, the outpatient department (OPD) was closed as resident doctors staged a protest. Agripada Police have booked the relatives of the boy under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. It is the second incident report within a week.

Doctors said the patient was undergoing treatment for a terminal illness at the hospital since December 11, 2019 and was also suffering from meningitis. He passed away around 5am. “The child died as a result of the excessive accumulation of water in his brain,” said the dean of the hospital, Dr Ramesh Bharmal.

In a press release, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) severely condemned the backto back assaults in the hospital. Dr Kalyani Dongre, president, Central MARD, said, the patient, a 13-year-old boy, was in the hospital for the past one month. His condition deteriorated on Saturday, following which doctors wanted to put him on ventilator.

“The relatives allegedly refused permission to do so and the patient died in the early hours of Saturday. This led to an attack on the doctors, identified as Dr Prajwal Chandra and Dr Kartik Asutkar, who received some injuries,” said Dr Dongre.

Following the incident, the doctors staged a protest, demanding action against the attackers and better security measures.

They also demanded adequate security for the wards, an increase in manpower, fixed visiting hours, and counsellors for relatives of patients.

Dr Bharmal said the hospital had lodged an FIR with the police. “Such incidents have exceeded limits and we need to further tighten security, for which we have decided to deploy the Maharashtra State Security Force from next week,” he said.

Avinash Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Zone 3, said the FIR was lodged after the assaulted doctor lodged a complaint against the parents. They have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections, 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant to perform duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to cause breach of peace), along with Section 4 of the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010.