: The Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital saw over 100 cases on Monday, with dozens of police officials and protesters being admitted with injuries following the clashes that broke out in various parts of the city.
Even around 4 p.m., the hospital’s casualty wards were full and more people were being brought in. Harried doctors, nurses and other staff rushed about attending to the injured. Doctors said they had been swamped from the morning onwards and that the flow of patients had been non-stop. Even as patients were wheeled away to another section of the hospital, more came in.
As of 8 p.m., a total of 122 persons had been brought in, including 64 police officials and 58 protesters. While all were admitted for treatment, only two were relatively severe, a senior doctor said. “One protester has a head injury and another has fractured his thigh bone. Both are being managed. All others are in stable condition,” he said.
Most of the injuries of the policemen were from stone pelting, while the protesters had contusion injuries, he said. One bandaged protester at the hospital alleged a group of them had been beaten up by the police. A policeman said the attack from the protesters had caught them unawares. “We were near Kannagi statue regulating the crowd when suddenly stones flew our way. We learned that the fisher-community had rushed towards the beach after hearing that one of their members had been killed,” said a policeman who was being treated.
At the Government Royapettah Hospital, a total of 69 people were brought in, a hospital official said. Of these, 17 were at the hospital for observation, while the rest were treated as outpatients. By evening, 15 of those admitted were discharged, and two patients — a police official and a protester — remained at the hospital.
The Government Kilpauk Medical College received five injured protesters. However, they all had minor injuries and were treated as outpatients, a hospital official said.
