Healthcare Services Paralyzed as Doctors Demand Arrest, Security Reforms, and Legal Protection
Srinagar:
A day after a third-year postgraduate resident doctor from the Medicine Department at SMHS Hospital, affiliated with Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, was allegedly assaulted by a patient’s attendant, the medical fraternity across the hospital staged a massive protest and shutdown on campus, demanding immediate arrest of the culprit and stronger protection for healthcare workers.
The doctors, led by the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of GMC Srinagar, suspended OPD and emergency services and warned that the protest would continue until justice is served. Protest videos went viral on social media, showing hundreds of doctors with placards reading: “No Safety, No Work”, “We Want Justice”, “Stop Violence Against Doctors”—echoing their anger and helplessness.
🛑 The Incident: Assault Caught on CCTV
The disturbing incident occurred on Tuesday when a critically ill patient was brought to the hospital’s emergency department. Despite CPR efforts, the patient could not be revived. Following the patient’s death, the attendant returned to the ward and assaulted a resident doctor, slapping him with such force that the doctor collapsed to the ground—an incident caught on CCTV and widely shared online.
🚨 Doctors Shut Down Services, Demand Non-Bailable Charges
Outraged by the attack, the RDA termed it not just an individual assault, but “an attack on the dignity of every doctor.” In a powerful statement, they called for:
- Immediate arrest of the accused under non-bailable charges
- Deployment of trained security personnel in sensitive hospital areas
- Strict enforcement of the one-attendant policy
- Institutional support and legal protection for doctors assaulted on duty
“Despite giving our blood, sweat, and sanity to the system, we are repaid with blows, abuse, and humiliation. This violence is not acceptable, not justifiable, and will not be tolerated,” the RDA stated.
✊ Solidarity from Across the State
The United Doctors Front (UDF), Jammu & Kashmir Chapter, condemned the incident, calling it “an assault on human dignity” and demanded the enactment of a Doctor Protection Law making violence against healthcare professionals a non-bailable, cognizable offence.
Dr. Mir Waseem, National Joint Secretary of UDF, told Rising Kashmir,
“Doctors are not soldiers in a battlefield, but every day they work in environments of threat, abuse, and fear.”
The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of GMC Jammu also extended support, calling the act “shocking and disgraceful”, and stood in “unwavering solidarity” with the Srinagar doctors.
🔁 Recurring Pattern of Violence
This incident comes just a week after a similar attack at GMC Jammu, where a female junior resident doctor and a third-year female PG medico from the ENT department were verbally abused and physically assaulted by attendants after a terminally ill patient’s death.
📢 Call for Structural Reforms and Accountability
Both RDAs and the UDF emphasized that the recurring violence against doctors points to a systemic failure. They urged:
- Mandatory CCTV surveillance in all government hospitals
- Appointment of dedicated security personnel in emergency and ICU areas
- Strict zero-tolerance protocols for violence against medical staff
- Swift legal action against perpetrators
“It is tragic that while the world celebrates doctors, in Kashmir we are fighting for our basic right to work without fear,” the RDA stated.
