A 34-year-old patient assaulted a house surgeon at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) on Tuesday. Following the attack, a section of doctors staged a protest in the city.
According to a report on The Hindu, J Balaji of Thirunindravur in Tiruvallur district was admitted to the hospital with liver problems. On Tuesday, Balaji reportedly wanted the nurses to remove IV line from his hand. When house surgeon Surya was on his rounds, Balaji allegedly started shouting and abusing other patients.
He also threatened to hit the people with a pole, said the report. Surya immediately came to pacify Balaji but the latter took out a forceps and reportedly assaulted Surya on his neck. The doctor escaped with a major injury but was cut near the collarbone.
Surya then gave a complaint to the police. Based on the complaint, police arrested Balaji after booking a case under sections of Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Tamil Nadu Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2008.
Meanwhile, trainee doctors and PG medicos staged a protest demanding increased protection for doctors.
Dean Therani Rajan held a talk with the doctors and assured them that efforts would be taken to ensure the safety of house surgeons.
He also assured that the demands of the doctors would be immediately addressed. He said that additional personnel would be deployed for doctors. The Dean said that he also sent a letter to the health secretary in this regard.
However, after the incident, Chennai police commissioner Shankar Jiwal deployed 10 armed police personnel at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital near surgery ward, said a report on Times of India.
The doctors took to the protest since it comes after the death of doctor Vandana Das after she came under an attack by an accused who was brought to the hospital by police in neighbouring Kerala. Later, Kerala passed the Hospital Protection Act and it was cleared by the cabinet as Ordinance.