Tension ran high at a nursing home here as relatives of a patient, who died in the wee hours on Thursday, went berserk and ransacked the health centre besides damaging two vehicles parked inside it.
The incident occurred at around 11 am when the relatives and friends of one Tapan Nayak, who died while under treatment at the Panda Nursing Home under the Kharavel Nagar police station.
Police sources said Tapan Nayak of Unit-III Dalit Basti had been admitted to the nursing home on October 12 after he complained of severe stomach pain. He was told by the hospital authority to go in for an appendicitis operation. The operation was conducted the next day, but Nayak’s stomach pain continued.
When Nayak complained to the doctor, he was told he had dengue. On Wednesday night when his condition deteriorated, he was referred to the Kalinga Hospital, where he died on Thursday. Accusing the doctor at the Panda Nursing Home of “criminal neglect that cost Nayak’s life”, an angry mob from Dalit Basti damaged the health centre’s property worth several lakhs of rupees, reports said.
Two platoons of police force were deployed at the spot to maintain law and order.