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3rd hospital violence in a month: Two groups clash at Nawashahr civil hospital
In the latest incident, the two groups had been admitted to the emergency ward with medicolegal injuries when they began verbally abusing each other.
In the third such incident in Punjab this month, two groups clashed inside the emergency ward of Nawanshahr’s civil hospital on Friday evening.
Similar clashes had been reported from Dera Bassi and Gurdaspur civil hospitals on April 11 and April 12 respectively, following which the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association had demanded that security guards be deployed at state-run hospitals. During a meeting with PCMS representatives, the government had agreed in principle to beef up security at medical facilities across the state.
In the latest incident, the two groups had been admitted to the emergency ward with medicolegal injuries when they began verbally abusing each other.
According to the police, the hospital staff asked the two groups to move to separate wards, but they continued abusing and assaulting each other. A cabin in the hospital was also damaged in the incident.
Following the complaint of the hospital’s medical officer Gagandeep Singh, a case under Sections 194(2) (affray) and 324(3) (mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other sections of the Punjab Protection of Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2008, was registered against four accused. The accused were identified as Jashanjit Singh Kahlon, Jaskarandeep Singh, Gaurav Kumar and Vishal Chhadi, all residents of Muzaffarpur village of SBS Nagar.
PCMS association state president Dr Akhil Sarin said it is highly condemnable that yet another incident of violence has been reported from a hospital. “Besides doctors and medical staff, such incidents pose a threat to patients as well. We met state government officials last week who assured us that security would be provided at civil hospitals and other medical facilities. We demand the government to fast-track the process.”
