Doctors targeted again in Assam: Majuli hospital staff attacked, 3 arrested
AT Photo: Attendants and relatives of dead patients attack doctors and hospital staff over patient's death in Majuli
Jorhat, Sept. 23: In another case of violence against healthcare workers in Assam, attendants of a critically ill patient attacked medical staff at Pitambardev Goswami District Hospital on Sunday night.
The situation was eventually brought under control by police, who arrested three of the patient’s attendants.
The incident unfolded after the death of one Digen Halder, who passed away in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Grief-stricken and angry, Halder’s relatives accused the medical staff of negligence and went on a rampage, ransacking the ICU and assaulting doctors and nurses.
The local police confirmed that three individuals have been arrested in connection with the assault. Halder’s attendants claimed that the medical staff "murdered" him, alleging that two nurses had “injected him to death”.
One of the doctors on duty recounted the ordeal, explaining that Halder had been in critical condition upon arrival, having undergone a tracheotomy. Despite the hospital staff’s efforts, including the use of mechanical ventilators, the patient did not respond.
"We tried everything we could, but his attendants didn’t understand the severity of his condition," the doctor said.
As tensions rose, Halder’s relatives physically assaulted the medical staff. "One of the attendants punched me and hit me with footwear," the doctor revealed.
This incident comes on the heels of another attack on healthcare workers in Hailakandi. On September 22, a mob of 10-15 people assaulted Dr. Amit Sinha, an on-duty doctor at SK Roy Civil Hospital.
Dr. Sinha was attending to patients in the emergency ward when the group dragged him out and physically assaulted him for allowing security personnel to assist him in discharging emergency services.
The hospital's Superintendent, Dr. Debabrata Dutta, confirmed that the assault occurred in the presence of CRPF personnel and was captured on CCTV footage.
These consecutive incidents have raised serious concerns over the safety of healthcare workers in Assam, with medical professionals calling for stronger protections to ensure their safety while on duty.
