Being abused and beaten by patients’ attendants has become a daily affair for doctors at Ambedkar Hospital. Doctors say that every time Government makes tall promises to sensitise people, but nothing happens on the ground.
On Sunday evening, a mob of 30-40 people attacked on-duty doctors at Ambedkar Hospital, when a patient brought to the casualty in a state of shock and polytrauma succumbed to his injuries. A senior on-duty doctor informed that the aggressive patient’s attendants vandalised the entire casualty area, including emergency Operation Theatre (OT) and minor OT.
Ambedkar Hospital caters to about 4,000 patients in OPD and 1,000 odd patients in emergency each day. The on-duty doctors, deputed at the casualty, work for almost 30-32 hours without fixed timing for lunch and dinner.
“On Sunday, a patient Parvez was brought to the casualty in a state of shock and drowsiness. It was a case of polytrauma with all major bones fractured which resulted in rupture of blood vessels of lower limb. This caused massive blood loss from the body and patient eventually succumbed to his injuries. We did CPR but patient couldn’t be resuscitated. The attendants, almost 30 to 40 in number, created real nuisance, vandalised the entire casualty department including emergency OT and minor OT. Everyone had to run for cover including the security guards,” said the on-duty doctor.
A senior doctor from a Delhi Government said that at least 30-40 such incidents of attack on doctors have happened, since July last year when doctors had called for strike to demand security at workplace and the Delhi Government has done nothing, informed the doctor.
The doctor also informed that home guards and security guards deputed by Delhi Government at the hospitals also turned away to protect themselves. He said most of the time they are not even seen in the hospital. Another doctor said, “Now I will not suggest anybody to opt a career as a doctor. How doctors can be held responsible for each and every deathIJ”
Taking a serious note on this issue, Dr Punita Mahajan, medical superintendent at Ambedkar Hospital told The Pioneer, “We have lodged an FIR against the culprits who created ruckus and had beaten up the doctors. However, there was property damage but none of the doctor was injured.”
This is not the first incident when doctors are attacked by patient’s relative at any government hospitals. The Pioneer on Monday spoke to doctors of Ambedkar Hospital to know about their worsening and life threatening condition at the work place.