Today morning KEM Hospital Pediatric resident doctors were assaulted by relatives of a patient admitted in the pediatric ward of KEM Hospital and Seth G. S. Medical College.
The patient was a case of Dengue shock syndrome and had come with non-recordable pulse and BP. There was no vacancy in ICU. Patients relatives were explained about the bad condition of the child and non-availability of ICU bed by the resident doctors. They had also taken high-risk consent. In spite of the non-availability of the ICU bed, relatives were ready to get the patient admitted in the general ward. All necessary medications were started and relatives were explained about the worsening condition every half hourly by the doctors. After this 4 male relatives rushed into the ward. Only a female security guards were there (from Eagle pvt security and not KEM Hospital security) who ran away after seeing the situation. Patient’s relatives took up an iron stool, iron rod and wooden stick lying in the ward and beat up Dr. Suhas, Dr. Kushal, and Dr. Puneet. A glimpse of the wounds on he bodies of the residents can be seen in the pictures.
Resident doctors have decided to go on a mass bunk from 25th September 2015 morning.
This is a very common thing seen in the government hospitals of India. Consequences of the lack of facilities by the authorities have to be faced by the doctors, who also have to face the anger of the patients and their relatives. There are an increasing number of dengue cases and no improvements in the facilities. Also, poor security adds up to this issue. Even after repeated strikes by the resident doctors, no improvement in security can be seen which comes into the picture by this kind of assaults.
WHEN WILL OUR GOVERNMENT WAKE UP?
Update (On 26/09/2015): One of the assaulted doctors, Dr. Punit Garg has put a detailed version of the incident on a Facebook post. It says,
There’s a lot of bullshit going around in the media about the assault on me and 2 of my colleagues. This is my side of the story.
The patient Abusufiyan came into our emergency department at around 9:30 pm when my 12 hr shift was just about to end. He was in shock with no recordable pulse and blood pressure and was barely breathing .. We immediately counselled the parents about the child’s condition and non-availability of ICU beds. They gave us the go ahead .. within 10 mins of his arrival our team of 5 paediatricians had secured 2 iv lines and orogastric tube and catheterised that patient and put him on oxygen .. child was immediately started on fluids and inotropes as per proper protocols .. his blood tests showed that he had dengue ..We managed to revive the child but only just ..We counselled the patient repeatedly on the child’s critical condition and child could go bad anytime . The child then had to be shifted from emergency to the general ward as we were receiving other equally serious patients.
In the ward, we kept a close watch on the patient .but the worst happened. The patient collapsed around 4 am. We immediately gave CPR but were unable to revive the child .. We continued ventilating the patient and informed the relatives about the child’s condition.
At around 5 am while I was putting an iv line for another serious dengue patient I heard shouting and looked up to see one of the relatives charging me with an iron stool barely 10 feet from me. I reflexly put my hand up in defence .3 times that man tried to bludgeon my head with the stool .twice I saved myself and third time the stool grazed my head but fortunately one of my seniors Dr. Suhas held that relative back from further blows .. then the other 3 relatives pounced on Dr. Suhas and my other senior Dr. Kushal .. We managed to fend them off ..Suhas sustained lacerations on his back and arms and Kushal got bluny on his arms and chest with an iron rod ..but we barely escaped ..
For about 10 mins, we were in absolute shock. After that the realisation hit me that this could have been the final moments of my life .. ended at the whims of some crazed person. Not just that my female colleagues and other patients children and mothers could have been badly hurt or worse .
This is wrong ! I have worked so hard to get here .. I slog day and night for these people .. sleeping less than 40 hours a week. Some days skipping meals ..for what ?? We need to take a stand .enough is enough.
There is no use in posting these here and there in media. Beat up the goons or their relatives, beat up the hospital administration head. These bunkings etc don’t solve purpose. Attack in reply to attack.
Hospital administration is very poor.my 28th Year old Nephew also died last year in KEM.
KEM Hospital comes under MCGM. If anyone is to be blamed for poor hospital administration it should be MCGM. Doctors should not be the ones facing the consequences of poor work by the corporation. Doctors have become easy targets.
Why not doctors shud let these rascals rather than try hard and save them. Jus to get assaulted??
Mostly the patients in MCGM hospitals come from poor socioeconomic background. They lack education to understand such situations. However, brief professional counseling of the family members of such patients should help. Although such attacks are surely condemnable; however, doctors should also be very soft and sensitive while talking to patient’s relatives during such critical situations. I worked in KEM hospital in the capacity of Assistant Professor and observed that doctors too need patient education skills. Again, I have great regret for such attacks on the doctors, but we all medical professionals should also possess high respect for patients sentiments. Just a simple strategy of talking softly and educating them about the overall situation could potentially help in reducing such attacks. It may sound philosophical; however, if we also treat our patients the way we would like our family members to be treated by the other doctors, may take care of such problems.
Same situation in every government hospital. Doctors are not safe anywhere. Its really shameful.
well, what i have learnt.. try to leave india as soon as possible…or go for civil services… even allied services… or mba in good institutes ,secure jobs with multinationals..
but if none of these are options,,, beware in such shifts… work in group..keep all staff and guys happy.. some rods for own safely.. if ever something happens, fk… the brain out of skull of that relative or assaulter, say it was in self defense…..
and rest will be managed….
we suffer because we are not united… those of us who become faculty/ consultant behave as if they were never here .. so there is the irony !!!!
It is a shame that doctors are attacked by ignorant relatives who wait for patient to get critical and then come for treatment.
I think the doctors should highlight the work hours they put in. No Engineer, MBA, CA, Lawyer will work such inhuman hours. The media & general public have no idea about the hardship these Resident Doctors face, working without enough rest, no time for meals at proper times
Assault on doctors should be condemned at its maximum intensity. Professional counselling of the family members of such patients need time and efforts which is not available in these critical situations. One thing stuck to me how come we can admit a critically sick patient without pulse and BP in general ward, if patient need admission in ICU he should be admitted in ICU, if no bed available in ICU he should be referred to some other ICU after emergency first aid, it is impossible to manage a critically sick patient in a govt hospital ward when you have so many sick patients around you. These resident doctors are facing the irk of public to make this impossible into possible and many time they fail. As a doctor we should refuse to admit patient after emergency management if we do not have proper bed and facilities to take care of that particular patient. Providing bed and facilities to manage these patient is the responsibility of hospital administration, and government. Most of the govt hospital are taking patients more than they can handle and face the consequences of adverse outcome. As a doctor I would have not admitted this patient if I do not have ICU bed for this patient. Let the hospital administrator, authorities, government come on front and tell the public why we do not have proper bed and facilities for our all the patients
The equations should be clearly defined. Assault one doctor, we will kill 15 patients. Like it or lump it!! So in this case go ahead and kill 45 children!! In any case in this FUCKING COUNTRY you will be blamed if you do the best for your patients. Kill them no one can do you anything. Carry guns, drink and drive, run over and kill people it is all acceptable to INDIAN LAW. Try to save lives, then you are a thief and a killer and should be penalised. The greatest sin in INDIAN LAW is to make an error in filling up form F< it a non bailable offence and you get immediate jail for 2 years.
I am a sister in charge,working in b.m.c.really people don’t have any value of our work,only because it is free of charge,theey think we are cheap our service is cheap,bmc shoould start charging like pvt.hosp.