BENGALURU: A group of doctors from Minto Hospital and post graduate students and residents doctors from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) staged a protest on Saturday. This came after a doctor at Minto Hospital was allegedly assaulted by pro-Kannada activists for not speaking in Kannada on Friday.
The protesting doctors demanded justice for the doctor who was assaulted and asked for security for every doctor. According to a highly placed source, the students have decided to continue protesting until the police takes action.
Some of the patients who went to hospital in the morning said they were sent back since doctors were unavailable for OPD rounds. “I brought my daughter to the hospital for an eye injury. However, the hospital staff asked us to go back stating that there were no doctors and that they were out protesting,” a patient’s mother said.
BMCRI Dean Dr H S Satish, however, stated that the OPD was not shut. “The OPD remains unaffected. Yes, there was a protest, but it went on for a short period of time. I was on rounds and made sure that the OPD was functioning normally and all the patients were given treatment,” he said.
Dr Nitin, a PG student said, “It is not justified why doctors get assaulted like this. We need security. We do the best for our patients, but in the end we are attacked like this. More guards should be deployed on the premises and strict rules should be enforced.”
Dr Satish said members of KPV had come to the hospital demanding a compensation for the patients who lost their eyesight in an incident which occurred in July, where patients were given poor quality drugs. “The members had come asking for compensation and one of the PG student spoke in English. In the middle of the argument he was pushed around. We have filed case at VV Puram police situation,” said Dr Satish.
A senior police officer said, “Based on the complaint given by Dr H S Satish, a case has been filed against 32 activists of KVV who barged inside the hospital and misbehaved with the staff. We have collected CCTV footage to identify the accused.”