PATNA: At least nine patients died allegedly due to lack of medical attention at two top government-run hospitals in Patna as the junior doctors stayed off work in protest against an attack on some of them by relatives of a patient who died.
The deaths occurred at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna in the past two days, sources said on Thursday. Junior doctors of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) at Darbhanga also joined the strike even as a meeting between senior health department officials and representatives of the junior doctors in Patna failed.
At least 35 critical surgeries scheduled to take place at PMCH and 20 others at NMCH had to be postponed due to the strike, said sources. With almost all medical care facilities remaining suspended at the two hospitals, nearly 300 patients who had taken admission there were forced to leave for private hospitals in Patna.
Junior doctors at NMCH started the strike on Wednesday morning after family members of a patient who died there allegedly clashed with some of them on Tuesday evening.
While the junior doctors claimed that the 70-year-old woman was brought dead, her relatives said doctors and the hospital staff refused to admit her citing limited resources due to the recent flooding inside the hospital building. Some of the dead woman’s relatives allegedly roughed up some junior doctors and also fired in the air before leaving.
Two of the people who had indulged in violence were arrested on Wednesday on the basis of CCTV footage of the incident, said police. But the junior doctors continued their strike demanding a foolproof system of security for doctors and all hospital staff.
“The health department has agreed to set up a permanent police outpost on the premises of NMCH. A site for the outpost has also been chosen. Other demands of the junior doctors would soon be taken care of at the administrative level,” said NMCH superintendent Dr Chandrashekhar.
Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey said the government would take all steps to ensure doctors’ security and urged them to return to work immediately.