Tamil Nadu doctors protest over assault on Chennai oncologist, govt to tag patients in state hospitals

State Health Minister Ma Subramanian informed that the government has introduced triage tag based on the urgency of medical needs of the patients from today. The patients’ attendants would be provided (temporary) identity cards.

Chennai: Thousands of doctors working in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu boycotted their duty on Thursday in protest against the brutal attack on a medical oncologist by the son of a cancer patient, severely affecting OPD services.

The doctors owing allegiance to Federation of Government Doctors’ Association and the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association held protests outside their respective hospitals across the state by shouting slogans against the attack and demanding security for them. Their protests led to complete breakdown of OPD and other medical services across the state, though the government said the strike didn’t affect patients and services provided to them.

Doctors at the Kalaignar Centenary Super speciality Hospital (KCSSH), where the medical oncologist J Balaji was attacked by 25-year-old Vignesh on Wednesday, held a demonstration inside the hospital premises. They demanded police protection in all hospitals across the state and installation of CCTVs in all government institutions to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.

Balaji, the doctor who was at the receiving end of a patient’s attender, was doing well on Thursday and is likely to be moved to a private room from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as there is improvement in his health condition.

The doctor released a video in which he is heard saying that he is doing fine and most of his vital parameters are normal. “I am doing good. I am a cardiac patient and have a pacemaker. But the doctors have helped me recover fast,” the doctor said in the video.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian, who visited the doctor and assured him of all required help, said the government will put in place security measures in government hospitals to ensure the safety of doctors and nurses.

He said the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai has introduced a tag system for attendants of patients to identify them and to restrict the number of people inside the institutions. “This has come into place in RGGGH today and we are planning to implement the system in all government medical college hospitals, district headquarters hospitals, and taluk hospitals. Each patient will get two tags,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, the accused was sent to 15-day judicial custody after he was booked under various sections of the BNS and Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence or Loss to Property) Act, 2008.

Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal warned of “strict action” against those who attack doctors, even as Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun promised of beefing up security in all government hospitals across the city.