Delhi Doctor ‘Slapped, Abused’ at Hospital Days After Security Protest

On late Saturday night, a resident doctor and a medical dresser at Doctor Hedgewar Hospital in Karkardooma, Delhi, were reportedly assaulted by a patient’s attendant. This incident occurred shortly after the central government mandated all hospitals to review and enhance their security protocols by up to 25%.

The resident doctor, who requested anonymity, recounted the assault while he was providing critical care to an intoxicated patient. According to the doctor, around 1 a.m., a patient with a forehead injury was brought to the hospital. While stitching the wound in the dressing room, the patient unexpectedly pushed him and began shouting abuses. The patient’s son then entered the room, slapped the doctor, and both continued to abuse him.

This incident follows an 11-day nationwide strike by resident doctors, which ended on August 24. The strike was triggered by the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata and had significantly disrupted non-emergency services across major hospitals.

The strike concluded after the Supreme Court intervened, urging the government to address the doctors’ concerns, including enhanced safety measures. The Court also established a 10-member National Task Force to develop safety protocols for medical professionals. This task force is expected to submit an interim report in three weeks and a final report within two months.

In response to recent incidents, the Union Health Ministry announced on August 19 that there would be a 25% increase in security personnel at Central government hospitals. The deployment of Marshalls for immediate security assistance was also authorized, based on individual hospital requests.

Previously, an ordinance introduced in April 2020 aimed to protect healthcare workers from attacks, mandating penalties of up to seven years in prison. However, these protections lapsed after the pandemic.