Patients attendants, relatives attack hospital staff, 1 held other absconding

Relatives of Pathergatti division MIM corporator Syed Sohail Quadri attacked the staff of Rainbow Children’s Hospital at Road No.2, Banjara Hills. The incident occurred when hospital security staff Ashok stopped the patient’s attendants from entering the lift which was loaded with a trolley carrying emergency medicines for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

In addition, the attendants tried to visit the patient after the visiting hours were over.

The Rainbow hospital in an official statement said, the patient a seven-year-old girl was admitted to the hospital 10 days ago with life threatening dengue fever. She was treated by an expert team of doctors and Intensivists and was in ICU for nine days and was later shifted to a ward.

The hospital statement says, “The patient’s attendants, Mr Rafiq on not being allowed to enter the lift started abusing security staff Mr Ashok (who works as ASO) and beat him up physically. When Mr Ashok tried to stop Mr Rafiq, the latter went behind Mr Ashok threatening, abusing and shouting. Mr Rafiq then called on Sameer, Taha, Aslam, Sufian who together beat and assaulted Mr Ashok and other hospital staff badly. They kicked him and also beat the security guards on duty Tukaram, Pranab and other hospital staff and threatened to kill the staff as well.”

Hospital CCTV footage shows three people beating hospital staff and their actions show them displaying a warning sign. The police arrested Rafiq within 24 hours after the incident and the case is under investigation.

“When will people’s attitude change towards hospitals? Their concern was not about the treatment of the child but more about the ego of the relatives that they should be allowed first instead of sending the emergency medicines to ICU,” said the hospital authorities.

Bajara Hills sub-inspector N. Kalinga said, “One of the accused Rafiq was arrested, the remaining are absconding. We filed case on everyone who attacked the hospital staff. Cases were registered under the Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Protection from Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2008.”

There are several instances that reported attack on medical staff. A medical intern was attacked by patient's relatives in Kolkata in June this year. In May, a doctor was attacked by a patient’s relatives at NIMS Hospital, Hyderabad. There was a huge protest and doctors called for strike in June when a medical intern was beaten up by patient’s relatives.

Pertaining to the incident Rainbow hospitals said “All the hospitals staff including doctors, nurses, paramedical and security staff work hard to ensure that patients get better and recover. Some of the patients are extremely sick and have life threatening conditions. Doctors and staff spend hours and days to ensure that patients are saved. In Spite of all such efforts the patient’s relatives can be abusive and violent for very frivolous reason it is saddening.