Shimla: Resident doctors at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital today struck work and held a protest to register their demand for adequate security in the hospital as on resident doctor was badly beaten by attendants of a child patient.
Executive member of the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) Parveen Panwar said that the doctors protested because Dr Sudhir Mehta was assaulted and beaten when on emergency duty as there was inadequate security in the hospital.
District police chief Sonal Agnihotri said that Lokinder Sharma has been arrested on charges of assault and deterring a public servant from discharging his duty. Investigation was in progress, he said.
Sources disclosed that RDA has threatened to go on mass casual leave, should inadequate security not be provided with two days.
The assault is said to have taken place after attendants of a patient (a baby child) who died got hold of the doctor in the ward.
However, Surender Kashyap, principal of the college denied any threat of mass leave or strike by the doctors.
He said police had been approached about the assault on a resident doctor and action had been taken.
The resident doctor had bruises and a swollen face. He also did complain of pain in the abdomen, where he was hit, said Kashyap.
Regarding security, he said that to meet the deficient security, the hospital authorities had finalized the process of hiring private security to man about 120 stations in the hospital.
The present security was inadequate, he added.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.