Doctors across government hospitals in Mumbai who came together on Friday to observe a strike in solidarity with the doctors attacked in West Bengal, recalled their own experiences of being assaulted on duty and sought more security in hospitals.
A similar protest was held in May last year after two doctors from JJ Hospital were attacked by the relatives of a patient who passed away while undergoing treatment. The government had at the time agreed to undertake several measures to ensure doctors’ security.
Dr. Umang Shandilya, a resident doctor from JJ Hospital, said, “While the Maharashtra State Security Corporation guards are deployed in large numbers, there needs to be more vigilance and security outside wards that frequently see deaths. The government must also ensure that only those who have a visiting pass can be given entry.”
A day after the JJ Hospital incident last year, Dr. Amit Ilamkar with Sion Hospital, too, faced a similar ordeal. “The patient was critical and passed away despite our best care. Over a dozen relatives were in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and three of them threatened me. I am still working with the hospital, and continue to feel fearful. There needs to be more security and control on the number of relatives allowed inside the wards and ICUs,” Dr. Ilamkar said.
According to doctors, various incidents that happen on a daily basis go unreported. While two doctors in BYL Nair Hospital said they faced the wrath of angry patients and relatives this month, a bunch of relatives of a critically-ill patient threatened to kill a resident doctor in Indira Gandhi Government Medical College in Nagpur last month. “Recently, a resident doctor was slapped in the hospital lift by a patient and three days ago, a woman doctor on the night shift was abused in the outpatient department (OPD),” a senior resident doctor from Nair Hospital said.
While Friday’s strike hampered surgeries in public hospitals, OPDs and wards were unaffected. Nair and Sion Hospitals had to postponse several surgeries due to the strike. “A total of 117 resident doctors were attending to the patients. Major surgeries were performed as planned,” Dr. Ramesh Bharmal, dean, Nair Hospital, said. Dr. Mohan Joshi, dean, Sion Hospital, said, “Small elective surgeries were postponed but emergency surgeries and care were normal.”
