Doctors at Lok Nayak Jaya Prakash Hospital took out a protest rally from their hospital to Rajghat on Saturday morning demanding additional security and safe work environment. They were also joined by others from their fraternity.
Work at the hospital remained paralysed on Saturday with junior and senior resident doctors not reporting to work after a lady doctor was manhandled and verbally abused at work on Wednesday night. “We have no other option but to strike work,” said a senior doctor at the hospital.
Speaking about the incident that triggered the protest, she said: “A lady doctor was threatened and assaulted by angry relatives of a patient in the gynaecology emergency. The relatives of a patient attacked and tore-off the doctor’s sleeves and even threatened to sexually assault her.”
“The doctor was taking care of two patients in the department and since one was in need of critical care, she went to him. This angered the other patient’s relatives who then manhandled the doctor,” she added.
Stating that this is not the first time they have been attacked at work, the doctors in the hospital said: “At a time when there is so much awareness about the need to give women a safe public environment, a lady doctor is being publicly threatened with rape. This is completely unacceptable. We demand an apology from the hospital administration for not coming to our help immediately.”
Doctors at the hospital have demanded adequate security. “We want security guards who will take action when they see us in danger. Several women work late into the night at the hospital and we cannot work under the fear of being verbally, physically and sexually harassed or assaulted.”
The hospital has earlier seen at least four incidents of doctors being assaulted and abused in the emergency, particularly during the night. On Saturday a group of doctors submitted their request for adequate security at the Hospital to the Delhi Health Minister Dr. A.K. Walia.
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