A medical oncologist at the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital here was stabbed multiple times on Wednesday by the son of a patient allegedly over grievances regarding the treatment of his mother at the same facility, a hospital official said. The man assaulted the doctor inside the outpatient room during a conversation regarding his mother’s treatment. He was immediately apprehended by the hospital staff and handed over to the police, and he was arrested. The doctor is being treated, and he is stable, the official said.
The attack led to an outrage and doctors and nurses gathered in front of the hospital entrance to mark their strong protest. “We do not have safety while doing our duty,” one of the protesting KCSSH doctors said. Government doctors announced a strike and Health Minister Ma Subramanian is set to hold talks with them.
Expressing shock, Chief Minister MK Stalin said the assailant had been arrested and that he had ordered a detailed probe. All steps will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, the CM said. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief Edappadi K Palaniswami said there was no security for a ‘government doctor in a government hospital,’ and it showed the status of the law and order situation.
Palaniswami, the leader of the Opposition, sought tough action against the culprit. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit chief K Annamalai blamed CM Stalin and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) regime over the incident.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, alongwith Subramanian, inspected the hospital and assured stringent legal action. They met the oncologist, being treated at the ICU. Later, AIADMK leaders D Jayakumar and C Vijayabaskar also met the doctor under treatment.
The hospital official said the assailant had been identified as Vignesh, a resident of a suburban neighbourhood and his mother Kanchana was the patient. The victim, Balaji Jagannathan, is a renowned oncologist and is serving as an associate professor in the medical oncology department in the hospital. Police Commissioner A Arun inspected the hospital and reviewed the security arrangements. He said a police outpost would be set up on the premises.
Udhayanidhi said the assailant had been visiting the hospital for six months for treatment of his mother and there was no suspicion about him. The Deputy CM said: “For half an hour he (Vignesh) had discussed with the doctor. Based on what he was told in a private hospital, he had taken this decision out of anger. Stern legal action will be taken against him and steps will be taken to prevent recurrence.”
The official, an emergency medicine anesthesiologist, told reporters: “He closed the OP room (from inside) and stabbed the doctor in his neck, behind his ear, chest, forehead, on his back, head and stomach. There was huge blood loss. He is a heart patient and has undergone surgery for his heart ailment.”
Claiming that he wanted to talk about his mother, Vignesh entered the OP room and since the door was closed it could not be opened immediately and later with the help of security personnel, staff and others, the doctor was brought out.
The oncologist, who had also undergone pacemaker implantation, was resuscitated and immediately operated upon by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons. The victim bled excessively and his medication for his heart ailment is the likely reason for more blood loss. Two units of blood were transfused and all wounds were sutured. “We have to wait and see for another six to eight hours for his recovery; the oncologist is under anaesthesia,” the official added.
The official said the assailant claimed that his mother was provided chemotherapy six times in the hospital. After shifting to a private hospital, they were told that her lungs were affected. The official said exactly what transpired between the victim and the assailant is not clear.
