Mumbai: Patient services were severely hit after doctors at BMC-run VN Desai Hospital in Santacruz refused to work on Wednesday following the November 11 incident where a patient’s relative physically manhandled doctors and nurses after both mother and child passed away.
While the Vakola police filed a case against 27 people for attacking medical staff at V N Desai Hospital, doctors informed the medical superintendent that they will continue the protest till the administration takes some concrete decision regarding stepping up safety.
“We have cancelled the elective surgeries. We are doing the emergency surgeries and taking care of patients who are admitted,” said a doctor. However, Dr Jairaj Acharya, medical superintendent, who has been holding discussions to address security concerns for the hospital staff, said the doctors have refused emergency services too.
“We are managing the emergency service with medical officers and referring patients to other hospitals. Admitted patients are looked at by the protesting doctors,” he said.
Dr Acharya added that security has been a concern in the hospital. “We have less security. When the incident happened, the security guard could not handle a mob of 20-plus people,” he added.
On November 11, a patient, Archana delivered her baby but tragically, both mother and child died on the same day. The patient’s relatives, around 20-25 men and women, gathered at the hospital and physically assaulted the doctors and nurses. A case was filed under the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss of Property) Act on the same day.
According to the FIR, Archana, who was attended by Dr Mahika Shetty, 22, and four other doctors, underwent a cesarean section, but the newborn did not cry at birth and his heart rate was zero. Consequently, the doctor immediately placed the child in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
The doctors had been regularly informing Archana’s family about the child’s health, indicating that his condition was not improving. They had also obtained the family’s consent before performing the delivery by Caesarean section. On November 11, both mother and child passed away. Around 1pm, approximately 25 of Archana’s relatives, gathered outside the NICU.
The relatives refused to claim the bodies even after the formalities had been completed. Two female relatives physically assaulted a nurse when Dr Shetty instructed them that not everyone could enter the ICU. The relatives then shouted at her and attacked her; one woman grabbed Dr Shetty by the throat and attempted to pull her, while others struck her on her face and hands.
However, other hospital staff managed to protect Dr Shetty. In the commotion, a nurse’s bangles broke, causing injuries. Later, the relatives surrounded the medical superintendent, verbally abused him, and physically assaulted him, hindering hospital operations.
