Doctor stabbed multiple times at Kalaignar Centenary hospital, Chennai; attacker was angry about mom's failing health

CHENNAI: A leading oncologist was stabbed multiple times by a youth at the Kalaignar Centenary Super Specialty Hospital in Guindy on Wednesday morning. Although the youth fled the scene after the incident, the police managed to secure him.

The assailant, identified as Vignesh of Perungalathur, posed as an outpatient and assaulted Dr Balaji Jagannathan of the oncology department inside the Outpatient room. He stabbed him at least four times in the head and twice in the neck.

Then, the accused, who was accompanied by three of his friends, fled the scene, but was caught by the cops later.

Other staff in the hospital meanwhile rushed to the aid of the doctor who is presently being treated for his injuries.

Police sources said that the mother of the attacker, Kanchana, had been undergoing cancer treatment at the hospital for the last few months, but as her condition was on the decline, it infuriated her son, who wanted to exact revenge on the doctors who treated her.

The incident created an atmosphere of tension at the hospital with government doctors planning to hold a strike demanding the safety of the medical fraternity, sources said.

Meanwhile, while reacting to the incident, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin assured that all necessary treatment would be provided to the doctor and noted that the selfless work of government doctors is immeasurable.

In a post on social media platform X, Stalin also assured that the government would take all measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

(With inputs from Online Desk)