Nearly 250 junior resident doctors at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial (LLRM) Medical College in Meerut resigned en masse on Tuesday in protest against the alleged failure of the institution to ensure their safety. The mass resignation followed an incident in which a junior resident doctor sustained severe head injuries after allegedly being assaulted by the attendant of a deceased patient on Monday night.
Tensions escalated further when videos surfaced online on Tuesday evening, depicting resident doctors engaging in physical assaults and verbal abuse of patient attendants, as well as damaging a car. Emergency services, including the NICU, PICU, and the labor room, were forced to shut down as a result of the strike. This led to patients being compelled to seek medical attention elsewhere.
According to SP (City) Ayush Vikram Singh, a resident doctor was assaulted, which led the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) to declare a strike. The confrontation between doctors and attendants occurred when patients were being admitted to the emergency ward. Resident doctors did not allow anyone to enter and attacked those who did not comply, said the SP.
The altercation began following the death of a 46-year-old woman, Kavita Singh, who had been referred to LLRM Medical College after experiencing cardiac arrest. According to LLRM Principal RC Gupta, the patient had been referred to LLRM from a district hospital in critical condition. Her health deteriorated further, leading to her passing. Following her death, her son attacked a resident doctor, Manish Singh, with an iron wrench, resulting in severe head injuries.
Sudesh Kumari, Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the district hospital, explained that the patient had undergone a uterus operation, which caused a drop in her blood levels, necessitating her referral to LLRM Medical College. RDA President Shakshi Singh stated that doctors immediately ceased their duties upon learning of the incident, and they would not resume work until proper safety measures were established. Despite multiple directives, the institution had failed to address the safety of doctors. Shakshi Singh emphasized that when Manish Singh was attacked, he was left alone with no assistance available.
A complaint was lodged by the institution against two individuals involved in the incident. SP Ayush Vikram Singh confirmed that one suspect, Saurabh Sharma, 20, had been apprehended, while efforts were ongoing to arrest the main accused.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)