Protests at MMC after attendants attack doctors

The incident took place around 10 pm on Friday, when a patient was wheeled into the Emergency ward for treatment for open wounds. Sources say that the patient was attended to and the doctors had to treat a couple of more patients whose conditions were more critical. 

Dr Nachiappan, a PG student, who took part in the protest, said, “There was no delay in the treatment, there were two other patients in a more critical condition. But the group began to abuse the doctors and tried to assault them, despite the presence of police personnel on the campus. We are demanding the immediate arrest of all those who were involved in the incident.” 

He added that attacks on doctors had become a regular occurrence and that doctors needed to be protected on duty. “We demanded that an FIR was filed, though some police personnel had come to mediate on the part of the attackers who are from Anna Nagar,” he added. 

Another senior doctor, on the condition of anonymity, said that Saturday was a crucial day for doctors and that it was getting wasted due to inaction on the part of police. 

The protesting doctors called for immediate measures to be taken in government hospitals in the state to ensure the safety of duty doctors. “We cannot be attacked and expected to continue with our services. How can we work when we fear for our safety,” added the doctor. 

Advocates Saravanan and Sabari, who were part of the group that attacked the doctors was arrested on Saturday. The protesting students also said that there would a state-wide protest if action wasn’t taken against all those involved. 

Meanwhile, an association of doctors under the name Doctors’ Association for Social Equality (DASE) has made an appeal to regularise the post of temporary doctors who are serving in Tamil Nadu. Talking to DT Next , Dr.G.R. Ravindranath, general secretary of the association, said that there were close to 1,000 temporary doctors serving in Tamil Nadu. “He said that the measure will have a positive impact on public health as more young doctors can be brought into the fold,” he said. 

The association has also called for stopping walk-in interviews as there is room for malpractices and corruption.