Chennai : In a repeat of Dr. Vandana Das murder in Kerala, Dr. Suriya the house surgeon at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital was stabbed by a patient over an argument as the patient was demanding the removal of the glucose injection in his arm which the doctor has refused. Enraged by the argument, the patient, Balaji, took the scissors from the nearby table and stabbed Dr. Suriya on his neck. Attenders and other patients rushed to the rescue of the doctor. The Doctor collapsed on the floor and was admitted to the intensive care unit and is being treated. “The doctor escaped without any major injury and is stable,” doctors said.
House surgeons at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital have decided to boycott duty except emergency wards. The doctors have demanded round-the-clock security be provided at the hospital.
They also urged the government to prevent a repeat of the incident where a house surgeon was stabbed to death by a patient recently in Kerala. “We demand police protection 24 hours in all the wards. Till our demands are met, we will continue to boycott duty,” the doctor added. Doctors said that at night even many workers won’t be there and the corridors will be empty. “There is more threat during night duty hours.”
Meanwhile, health secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi wrote to Chennai Commissioner of Police Shankar Jiwal requesting additional police deployment within Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital premises as the current strength is inadequate. The health secretary sought police posting in casualty wards 201 and 202, emergency department wards 205 and 206, intensive medical care unit, toxicology ICU, coronary care unit, CCU, renal block, specialty block, Tower I and II admission day unit and Tower III OPD block. Based on a complaint from Dr Suriya, police arrested Balaji under IPC sections 294 (b), 332, 353, 506 (ii) and provisions of Tamil Nadu Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions Act.