Doctors stage protest at KGGH

They demand action against attackers

Kakinada: Professors, doctors and staff of various departments in Kakinada Government General Hospital (KGGH) and Rangaraya Medical College staged a demonstration here on Saturday wearing black badges to protest assault of a woman doctor-on-duty by kin of a patient two days ago. They demanded stringent action against the erring and represented the issue to Hospital Development Committee (HDC) Chairman and District Collector H Arun Kumar.

According to sources, a patient K Rajyalakshmi was shifted to ICU as part of post-operative care on Thursday. The in-charge of the unit and assistant professor of anesthesia, Dr S Aruna Kumari, objected to frequent visits by kin of the patient to ICU. In spite of the objections, the kin continued the visits. When questioned by Dr Aruna Kumari, she was assaulted by them resulting in multiple injuries including blurring of vision of her right eye for about three hours.

It is said that the kin of the patient fled from the hospital with the patient and the case sheet fearing police action when the hospital staff and doctors were attending to Dr Aruna Kumari on the same day. A complaint was lodged with One-Town police.

The Collector visited Dr Aruna Kumari at KGGH who is undergoing treatment for the injuries she sustained in the assault.

When contacted, Kakinada sub divisional police officer Suryadevara Venkateswara Rao said on Saturday that the police were investigating the case and hoping to arrest the accused in the case in a day. Meanwhile, Dr U Sudheer, RMO and member of JAC of doctors threatened the police to intensify the agitation if no action was taken against the erring by Monday.