Baripada/Dhenkanal: Face-off between the doctors and the kin of the deceased patients is slowly becoming a cause of concern and crippling the healthcare delivery system as two more doctors were assaulted in the state, a report said Monday.
In the first case, kin of a deceased girl patient heckled the superintendent Dr Baikunthanath Mohapatra of Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital in Baripada after a 17-year-old girl died in the hospital here due to alleged medical negligence, Monday.
According to reports, the girl Supriya, 17, daughter of Sunaram Patra of Rangamatia village under Shyamakhunta block in Mayurbhanj district was admitted to the hospital October 30 as she was suffering from Thalassemia. However, she breathed her last while undergoing treatment Sunday night.
Her father alleged that she died due to medical negligence as blood transfusion could not take place when it was required. On the other hand, the concerned doctor said she was suffering from fever and blood was to be transfused after recovery.
Tension ran high at the hospital over the death of the girl as her kin staged dharna by placing the body in front of the main gate. They also locked the main gate creating inconvenience for patients and attendants.
Baikunthanath Mohapatra, superintendent of the medical college, was trying to placate the irate family members of the deceased when they shoved him and beat him up on the charges of death due to medical negligence.
They relented after additional sub-collector Prakash Chandra Behera and Sadar SDPO KK Hariprasad announced a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 from the district Red-Cross fund and action against the concerned doctor.
Policemen have been deployed on the hospital premises to avoid any untoward incident.
In the second case, doctors and other staff members of district headquarters hospital (DHH) in Dhenkanal launched an indefinite cease-work strike Monday after an assistant surgeon was attacked over the death of a patient, the previous day.
Reports said, one Narendra Nayak of Khamar Sahi was admitted to the hospital Sunday evening. After a thorough examination, assistant surgeon Tusharkanta Rath declared him as brought dead.
Irked over the death, Nayak’s family members and friends abused and assaulted the doctor and supporting staff and even ransacked the properties in the out-patient department of the hospital. An FIR in this connection was lodged at Dhenkanal Town Police Station.
Secretary of Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) Dhenkanal, Dr Pradyot Behera, said that the doctors will continue the cease work till the culprits are arrested, but will treat patients in need of emergency care.
He further said that there has been regular demand for establishment of a police outpost on the hospital premises of the DHH. Besides, the matter should be taken seriously in accordance with the Epidemic Diseases Act.
PNN