Over 300 PG doctors treating COVID-19 patients in Hyderabad's Gandhi hospital have refused to resume their duties after a deceased COVID-19 patient's family trashed an on-duty doctor with an iron stool.
The protesting doctors are demanding security. Many of them held placards that read, 'We Want Justice,' 'We Condemn the Attack', Increase Security and 'Save Doctors', among others. They said, "We demand security for doctors. We want to serve the people and have been doing so 12 to 24 hours a day on COVID-19 duty for the past three months."
According to a report in The New Indian Express, the deceased 55-year-old male patient was admitted with mild respiratory failure. At the time, the patient's poor prognosis was explained to his family members, the doctor said. However, the patient went to the washroom by removing his CPAP mask and suffered a cardiac arrest. He passed away at around 7.30 pm on Tuesday, he added.
The patient's family members then barged into the hospital and attacked the on-duty doctor. "They destroyed the plastic chairs and attacked the doctor on duty with an iron stool. He blocked the attack but was hit on his hip. Other doctors and nurses rushed to their safety and informed the police," said a doctor.
Meanwhile, appealing to the doctors to call off their protest, Health minister E Rajender invited the representatives of the doctors to the Secretariat to discuss the issue.
A case was registered under IPC sections and under relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act and Telangana Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions Act 2008, police said.
"Under any circumstances, the attack on medical staff will not be tolerated and firm and legal action will be taken," police said adding: "In this time, doctors are our frontline leaders."
(With PTI inputs)
