Docs suspend work after colleague thrashed by kin of deceased patient
PHAGWARA : Doctors and paramedical staff of the Phagwara civil hospital went on a strike on Saturday after their colleague was thrashed by family members of a 16-year-old boy who succumbed to his injures after being hit by a train. Following their strike, which lasted around eight hours, doctors of civil hospitals in neighbouring areas, including Bholath, Sultanpur Lodhi and Kapurthala, also suspended their work in solidarity with their colleagues in Phagwara, officials said.
Phagwara additional deputy commissioner Nayan Jassal along with other officials rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. The protesting doctors refused to end their stir till an FIR was lodged against the attackers, police said. The doctors also demanded adequate security staff at the hospital. Anuj Singh, 16, sustained serious head injuries after being hit by a train near Shivpuri on the Phagwara-Banga rail section on Saturday morning, they said. He was listening to music on his headphones while crossing a railway track, unmindful of the approaching passenger train, police said.
Dr Ashish Jaitley, an emergency medical officer at the hospital treated the teenager but he succumbed to his injuries, said the police.
Enraged, Anuj’s family members, including women and their supporters, assaulted and thrashed the doctor, police said. Dr Jaitley had to be hospitalised as he complained of severe pain in his neck and back, they said. The doctor was saved by attendants of other patients, said police.
Senior medical officer Dr Kishore Kumar said: “The patient (Anuj) was brought to the hospital in a critical condition and Dr Jaitley tried his best to save his life, but he succumbed to his injuries. Faqir Chand, a lab technician, also received injuries after being assaulted. A medico-legal report has been sent to the police.”
Deputy superintendent of police Jaspreet Singh said a case under Sections 307, 323, 353, 186, 506, 148 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 4 of the Punjab Protection of Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (prevention of violence and damage to property) Bill, 2008, has been registered against Jai Prakash Singh, Om Prakash, Anoop Singh, Ritu Devi, Ranju Devi and three unidentified persons. He said three of them, including a woman, were rounded up.