A 24-year-old house surgeon was allegedly assaulted by a 34-year-old patient at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in the early hours of Tuesday. The assault triggered a protest by a section of the doctors.
Police sources said J. Balaji, 34, of Thirunindravur in Tiruvallur district, was recently admitted to the hospital with liver problems. He was in the male medical ward no. 122 at Tower Block-I. While house surgeon Surya was on duty, Balaji was in an agitated mood, allegedly abusing other patients and threatening to hit them with an intravenous pole.
The sources added that he also demanded that the house surgeon remove the catheter from his arm. As the house surgeon was attending to other patients, Balaji suddenly whipped artery forceps and inflicted an injury on the neck of Surya.
The house surgeon lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that he was assaulted without provocation.
Later, the house surgeons staged a protest on the campus demanding more protection to the doctors. Dean E. Therani Rajan held talks with them and persuaded them to give up their protest.
Addressing reporters, Dr. Therani Rajan said efforts would be made to ensure the safety of the house surgeons and their demands would be met expeditiously. He said additional personnel would be deployed for the protection of doctors.
Meanwhile, the RGGGH police arrested Balaji under Sections 294(b) (uttering obscene words); 332 (voluntarily causing hurt); 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty); and 506(ii) (criminal intimidation) of the 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.
