OGH junior doctors seek better protection after doc abused by patient's kin

Hyderabad: Junior doctors of Osmania General Hospital (OGH) held a protest on Saturday after a duty doctor was reportedly slapped by one of the patient's attendants. They complained of security lapses and demanded the Telangana government order (no. 103) be implemented for the safety of doctors.

In 2019, the Telangana government passed an order (no. 103) to create 164 posts under the control of the director general of the Telangana State Special Protection Force (TSSPF) for deployment in government teaching hospitals and medical and health district units. However, doctors claim that the GO has not been implemented in the state.

The recent incident reportedly took place on 6 October. "The patient passed away and when the duty doctor informed the patient's attendants, they attacked the doctor," said Dr. Srikanth Sativada, Osmania Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) president.

"In such circumstances, conflicts may arise between the doctor and the patient's family. However, a dedicated task force needs to be set up to avoid such incidents," he said.

"The incident shows that there is severe negligence and disregard for the safety of all doctors in Telangana," he added.

The OGH doctors pressed pause on the protest after the Afzalgunj police assured them that four more officers would be stationed at the hospital daily.

Better safety measures for doctors

Regarding GO103, Healthcare Reforms Doctor's Association (HRDA) president Dr. K. Mahesh said the GO was passed three years ago and demanded that it be implemented soon. "The TSSPF needs to be immediately and urgently deployed at all hospitals as per the GO," he said.

Osmania TJUDA members further demanded strict action against those responsible for the security lapse in Osmania General hospital. They also demanded that an active and urgent committee investigate the lapses and recommend changes that can be implemented in the current system for better security of all doctors working in government hospitals.

"The fault lies with the government for not recruiting officers for TSSPF even though a GO has been passed," Dr. Srikanth said.

What does the GO say?

As per the GO, the Home department shall obtain the concurrence of the finance (HRM) department before initiating measures to fill up the posts sanctioned in these orders, wherever service rules prescribe direct recruitment.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, superintendent Dr. Raja Rao established a task force for Gandhi Hospital alone, which was removed once the Covid situation returned to normalcy.