While Doon Hospital treats serious illnesses, it now urgently needs to address the recurring problem of assaults and altercations involving doctors. Looking at the events of the past five months, approximately seven incidents of assault and fighting have occurred in the hospital’s OPD and emergency department. This has put the safety of doctors and other healthcare workers at risk.
The incident on Tuesday night, where a doctor was assaulted in the hospital’s emergency room, has further highlighted this issue. Doon Hospital has approximately 5,000 employees across various categories, including doctors, postgraduate doctors, interns, and other healthcare workers. Around 2,500 patients visit the hospital’s OPD and emergency department every day. The current security arrangements are woefully inadequate to ensure their safety.
Emergency Gate Had to Be Closed
The hospital has about 100 security guards, and the Doon police outpost has only one or two police officers on duty. Sometimes, the outpost is completely empty. Recent incidents have completely exposed the weaknesses in the hospital’s security. On the night of December 14, a dispute between two groups seeking treatment escalated to such an extent that the emergency gate had to be closed.
During this incident, several healthcare workers, including a female doctor on night duty, were reportedly subjected to abusive behavior. An FIR was registered against 25 accused in this case. The very next day, on the night of December 16, attendants of a patient allegedly assaulted a doctor in the emergency room, accusing him of delaying treatment.
The doctor sustained serious injuries. During this incident, there was not a single police officer at the Doon police outpost. Furthermore, there were only four security guards in the emergency department. These recurring incidents must be addressed as a matter of priority
