Eight more die as PMCH junior doctors continue stir

PATNA: Eight more patients died as health services remained paralysed for the second consecutive day at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on Tuesday due to the ongoing indefinite strike by junior doctors.

The junior doctors had launched the strike on Monday to protest alleged attack on one of their colleagues by the attendants of a 12-year-old patient.

Confirming eight fresh deaths, PMCH superintendent Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said a meeting was held with members of the hospital’s Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) on Tuesday to resolve the issue. “We will start implementing some of the key demands of the protesting junior doctors, such as installation of security alarm in each department and introduction of ‘two attendants for one patient’ rule in gynaecology and paediatric departments from Wednesday. We hope that the junior doctors will resume work on Wednesday,” Dr Prasad added.

JDA president Dr Vinay Kumar said they have urged PMCH principal Dr Ajit Verma and superintendent Dr Prasad to ensure safe working environment for junior doctors. “They have promised to fulfil our demands by seven days. However, we are not satisfied with their assurances,” Dr Kumar said.

Hundreds of patients returned from the hospital without receiving treatment and several operations were postponed. Only emergency cases were handled at the hospital. Dr Prasad said 258 patients were admitted to the central emergency unit and 483 to the normal emergency unit on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, police have arrested Anil Kumar, the father of the 12-year-old patient, from a private clinic on charges of assaulting one Dr Dina Nath in the paediatric department of the hospital on Monday. The JDA has demanded the arrest of other attendants of the patient.

The strike had started on Monday after the attendants of the 12-year-old boy, who was admitted to the hospital due to snakebite, allegedly assaulted Dr Nath for refusing to provide them the admission paper of the patient. Dr Nath, who sustained bruises to his face and severe bleeding from ears and nose due to the attack, is still undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of the hospital.