Tension prevailed at the Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital here on Saturday when a group vandalized the hospital after a woman patient died of H1N1.Medical Director M.D. Marker said family members of Alla Babe, who succumbed to H1NI on Saturday morning, damaged the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) using stones and weapons. When he tried to stop them, they assaulted him.“They ransacked equipment costing approximately Rs. 40 lakh and furniture within the ICU. They also threatened the ICU staff of dire consequences and terrorised patients on adjacent beds,” Dr. Marker alleged.
When the hospital staff rushed to rescue the Medical Director, the group comprising family members of the dead patient, allegedly threatened them as well. They even poured fuel all over the hospital lobby probably with an intention to set the hospital on fire, Dr. Marker added. The hospital management said that doctors treating Ms. Babe had told the family of the H1N1 patient of the grave prognosis. “The patient has been treated on nationally accepted protocol with intensive nursing care in the ICU. In spite of all the best efforts by the doctors and staff of the hospital, the patient passed away in the ICU at 6.30 a.m. this morning. ,” Dr. Marker added.
The High Grounds police brought the situation under control. Based on the complaint filed by the hospital management, police have booked cases against the group of family members of the dead patient and charged them with rioting, assault and criminal intimidation.
This is the second instance this week when doctors have been attacked. On March 1, family and friends of B.V. Ganesh, H1N1 patient, staged a protest in front of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases.
