2 doctors in Mumbai hospital attacked by dead patient’s family

Resident doctors at the Topiwala National Medical College & BYL Nair Charitable Hospital held a protest against the violence on their colleagues. They also boycotted the outpatient department (OPD) service.

Two trainee doctors at a municipal hospital in Mumbai were assaulted by the relatives of a 13-year-old patient, who died on Saturday morning, in the second such attack within a week.

Officials at the hospital said the patient was undergoing treatment at the hospital and that he died on Saturday morning after his condition deteriorated. (ANI/ Representative Image)

Resident doctors at the Topiwala National Medical College & BYL Nair Charitable Hospital held a protest against the violence on their colleagues. They also boycotted the outpatient department (OPD) service.

Officials at the hospital said the patient was undergoing treatment at the hospital and that he died on Saturday morning after his condition deteriorated.

The father of the child blamed the doctors of negligence and had an argument with Dr Prajwal Chanda and Dr Karthik Asutkae. Following this, he assaulted the doctors, who are first-year degree students.

A first information report or FIR has been filed against the father at the Agripada police station.

After the assaults on the doctors, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) demanded an increase in their security at civic-run hospitals.

“It has been a long-time demand of MARD to recruit more security personnel and increase the number of doctors to lessen the burden of work pressure on doctors. We have also raised the demand to fix the visiting hours and make stringent rules to regulate pass system,” the association’s president, Dr Kalyani Dongre, said.

As the resident doctors boycotted the OPD service for a day post afternoon, senior doctors, including professors and lecturers, took to handling the patients.

“By the time the residents boycotted their duty, OPD was almost over. Around 40 students came to speak to me and then later they joined back. All the patients who visited the hospital today have been attended to,” Dr Ramesh Bharmal, the hospital’s dean, said.

Thousands of doctors across the country had held a strike in June last year demanding better working conditions, following a smilier complaint about a violent attack from a patient’s family in West Bengal.