Outrage after patient’s relatives attack doctor

Colleagues protest over the incident that occurred at Paderu area hospital

Doctors and staff staging a protest, after a patient’s relative assaulted a duty doctor, at Paderu in Visakhapatnam district on Thursday.

Doctors and staff of Paderu Area Hospital, on Thursday, staged a protest after a duty doctor was reportedly assaulted by a patient’s relative on Wednesday night.

The doctors accused authorities concerned of apathy, alleging that no steps were taken to put security in place despite repeated requests.

The Paderu police said they had received a complaint on Wednesday night that one K. Rambabu, a teacher from Paderu, had allegedly assaulted Dr. Ajay at the Paderu Area Hospital, alleging medical negligence in the death of his uncle. Police said that following the complaint, they have registered a case and would arrest Rambabu after he finishes the final rituals of his uncle scheduled on Thursday.

‘Not the first time’

On Thursday morning, health personnel from the hospital boycotted their duties and staged a protest over the incident. Alleging that this was not the first time that a doctor was manhandled at the hospital, the doctors demanded that officials make arrangements for security personnel with immediate effect.

The doctors said that there has been a long-pending for arranging a police outpost at the hospital, and despite complaining about the menace by drunkards at the hospital, none of the officials have treated the issue with seriousness. The doctors also alleged that Rambabu, who attacked Dr. Ajay, was drunk at the time of the incident.

“There are many occasions when locals abused and used derogatory words against nurses and woman doctors when we reminded them that there should be only one relative staying with the patient at the hospital. Many locals enter the hospital in an inebriated condition. We come from faraway places to serve in the Agency and this is the kind of treatment that we have to put up with,” a woman doctor said.

The doctors said that if such attacks continue, none of the doctors would agree to be posted at the Paderu hospital in future.

Additional District Medical & Health Officer (ADMHO-Paderu) Dr. Leela Prasad said that the patient was admitted in the hospital with blood vomitings in a critical stage and died while undergoing treatment. Condemning the attack on the doctor, the ADMHO informed the media that he had spoken to the ITDA Project Officer, police and other officials concerned and is expecting strict action against the attacker.