TIRUPATI: Junior doctors and students of Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women staged a protest on Sunday after a female intern was attacked by a patient in the casualty ward of Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) in Tirupati on Saturday evening.
The patient, identified as Bangarraju from Bobbili in Vizianagaram district, had come to Tirumala with his family for a pilgrimage. An epilepsy patient, he was admitted to the TTD’s Ashwini Hospital after he suffered a seizure. He was shifted to SVIMS on Saturday morning for further treatment. He was being administered intravenous fluids when he attacked the intern, who was on duty.
The doctor sustained a minor injury. Elaborating on the incident, the doctor in her statement to the director and vice-chancellor of SVIMS said, “During my duty, I was attacked by a patient. He approached me from behind, pulled my hair, and banged my head against the steel rod of a cot. Despite my efforts, I was unable to defend myself or restrain him. No security personnel were present to hep me. Had the patient been armed with a sharp weapon, there could have been serious consequences.”
Stating that the incident raises grave concerns over the safety of doctors at the workplace, she requested for appropriate security measures to be implemented to ensure the safety of all staff members, especially in high-risk areas like the EMD.
Responding to the incident, SVIMS director Dr RV Kumar assured security for doctors and staff working in the hospital.
Strengthen security at medical colleges: APJUDA
Condemning the attack on the intern at SVIMS and the incident at the Guntur Government General Hospital, where a third-year UG student complained of being inappropriately touched by an unidentified person, Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) President Dr Deekshith Pendela and General Secretary Dr S Ameerun said, “These incidents reflect a grave breach of safety and security within our institutions, and we extend our deepest solidarity to the affected individuals. The gravity of these attacks underscores an urgent need for comprehensive action to prevent such egregious acts from recurring. We unequivocally demand immediate and thorough investigations into both cases. It is imperative that the authorities act swiftly to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure that such violations are met with the full force of the law.”
Further, they demanded immediate implementation and deployment of security measures in all medical colleges and hospitals. “The establishment of SPF (Special Protection Force) and CPA (Campus Police Assistance) is urgently needed,” they added.
Guntur GGH student molested
A third-year student at Guntur Medical College alleged that she was touched inappropriately by an unidentified person when she was headed to the dermatology outpatient block on Saturday afternoon