Attack on doctor, nurse: PHANA writes to Bommai

A day after a patient’s son allegedly attacked a doctor and a nurse in the ICU of a top private hospital, the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) has called for strict action to be taken against the accused. In a letter to Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the association highlighted the rising number of attacks on the medical community, and called for accused to be booked under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

On Saturday afternoon, Padmakumar, a senior intensivist, and a nurse at Fortis Hospital on Banerghatta Road were assaulted by a 29-year-old man whose father was in on ventilator support. The accused, Jagdish, and his mother abused the doctor and team in the ICU, while the staff was counselling them. Jagdish hit Dr. Padmakumar on the head and then assaulted a senior nurse before he could be restrained.

According to the police, the doctor sustained a hematoma of the scalp region, while nurse Mala sustained injuries to her abdomen. “An MRI revealed that the doctor did not sustain a major injury to the brain,” said the police, who booked Jagadish and his mother,

Jayanthi, under several sections of the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Medicare Service Personnel and Damage to Property in Medicare Service Institutions Act and also under Section 323 (assault) of the IPC.

PHAHA, in its letter, said, “There is a deep sense of insecurity at work places and health care professionals are fearing to go to work.”