Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 26: The work at one of the Associate Hospitals of Government Medical College, Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS), came to a standstill today after residential doctors went on an indefinite strike after some of their colleagues were reportedly thrashed by a patient.
The agitating doctors, who are doing their post-graduation at the hospital, said it has become a major risk for them to do their training in such a hostile atmosphere where they were routinely being thrashed by either patients or their attendants.
“We asked the patient to give in writing that he does not want an investigation. On this the patient grew furious and said he will go to SKIMS for treatment. We only asked him to return the hospital file and go anywhere for the treatment,” said one of the alleged thrashed doctors, who didn’t want to be named.
The doctors said that the patient pushed one of the PG Ist year medico and started abusing him. Soon, other attendants and patients present there thrashed other doctors. “They even hit one medico on the backside of the head with the dustbin,” he alleged.
Fearing trouble, the medicos rushed to the Chief Medical Officer’s office for intervention to enquire about the whole episode and complained about lack of security for them in the hospital.
The doctors said such incidents of thrashing have become a routine affair in the hospital, adding, they have repeatedly complained to the hospital authorities, but no action has been taken yet.
Besides thrashing, the young doctors alleged that the hospital has become a hub of drunkard who come in the night and harass young female doctors who are on nigh duty.
“Recently, some young men who were inebriated with alcohol came inside the ward and starting teasing the female doctors on night duty and pass lewd remarks at them. We complained to the authorities but nothing happened,” they said.
He said recently a doctor caught hold of a person, who was stalking a female medico but no action was taken by the hospital authorities against him.
Medical Superintendent SMHS Hospital Dr. Nazir Choudhary said they have lodged an FIR against the person involved in thrashing the resident doctors.