Hyderabd, June 11: Junior doctors at the Gandhi Hospital resorted to a flash strike on Wednesday as relatives of a pregnant woman
who died in the hospital at 2 am went on the rampage, alleging medical negligence.
The AP Junior Doctor’s Association (APJUDA) boycotted the out-patient department, elective surgeries and ward duties demanding action against the unruly elements.
It all started at 6 pm on Tuesday when Shahjahan Begum, 25, who was in the sixth month of her pregnancy was rushed to the gynaecology department of Gandhi Hospital with a disorder called Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC). For Shahjahan, a resident of Bahadurpura, this was the fourth pregnancy. After having been rejected by two government maternity hospitals at Nayapul and Gudimalkapur as well as a private hospital, her relatives brought her to Gandhi Hospital. However, according to Gandhi Hospital doctors, she was brought with a dead fetus.
“We explained to the relatives her precarious condition and the immediate need for blood transfusion to save her life as she was bleeding profusely and went into a shock. However, her blood group being rare ‘O negative’ was not available in the blood bank. We could manage only two units,” APJUDA president of the Gandhi Hospital unit Dr G Raghu Kishore told TOI.
He further said that there was a five-hour delay in arranging the two units of blood. In cases of DIC, as many as 10 units of blood, platelets and plasma were required for transfusion. She died at 2 am, as per the hospital records. Shahjahan had gone in for abortion during her third pregnancy. She leaves behind two children. Doctors said soon after she died and before the doctors declared her death, her husband and a group of men barged into the emergency ward as well as the observation room of the hospital and created a ruckus.
“Shockingly, they also forced themselves into the the emergency ward where deliveries were in progress and ripped the I V lines from the stands. Fearing trouble, panicked women started running helter skelter,” a doctor said.
The men also damaged incubators as well as doors of the wards and smashed glass panes of the windows and tables. A woman who was on the bed closer to the door of the observation room suffered bruises, the hospital staff said.
The gynaecology ward has over 400 women on any given day. “This is a restricted area and out of bounds for men. We are here to save patients. Shahjahan was very critical before she was brought here. Her relatives behaved irresponsibly and caused harm to other women. We had to run for cover,” said Dr S Samata, a PG doctor who was on duty when the incident happened.
The medicos took refuge in the resident medical officer’s (RMO) room as the angry men ran after them. The lone security guard at the ward was helpless. When Chilkalguda police station was informed of the trouble, 10 policemen came and dispersed the mob.
The junior doctors who had discussions with the director of medical education (DME) threatened to boycott emergency duties also if the culprits were not arrested by 9 am on Thursday.
On Wednesday morning, the medicos held a demonstration and lodged a complaint with the Chilkalguda police station.
—Agencies–