JJ Hospitals

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ByRelatives of a patient who died in the care of the hospital thrash 3 docs; MARD orders immediate mass leave.At least 400 doctors from city hospitals went on sudden, indefinite strike on Saturday to protest an assault of three doctors atby a patient’s attendants earlier in the day.Around 6.45 am, Mumbra resident Zaida Shah, 45, was being treated for a gall bladder ailment at JJ Hospital for the last few days, died during surgery. On learning of her death, irate relatives alleged negligence on the part of the hospital, and thrashed the attending as well the staff who tried to shield him. “Two junior doctors, Atish Parikh and Shalmali Dharamadhikari, were injured,” said a doctor from JJ Hospital.In their rage, the relatives also broke chairs and a table in the ward.The rampage was caught on a CCTV camera of the ward.Following the assault, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) gave out a mass leave call to push for better security measures at hospitals.“At least 400 doctors from hospitals, including JJ, GT, St George and Cama, from south Mumbai are observing this indefinite protest. We want better security; there has been a string attacks on doctors,” said Dr Sarang Donarkar, MARD president at JJ Hospital.The protest brought back memories of a massive agitation in March last year by over 4,500 doctors across the state, following a spate of attacks from patients’ attendants. As the protesting doctors’ crippled health services, the Bombay High Court had to intervene and order the state government to lay down security measures for doctors.The government proposed security audits of all public hospitals and hired 1,100 new armed guards across the state. It also assured doctors of CCTV camera monitoring, restriction on the number of visitors, and special security measures at sensitive places like the ICU, the operation theatre, emergency care or the casualty department.Dr Donarkar, however, said more than a year on, most of the doctors’ demands are yet to be fulfilled. “We had asked for an emergency alarm system and at least one guard in a ward, but they have not been provided. The number of security personnel deputed to JJ hospital is not adequate.”Assistant Commissioner of Police Mangesh Pote said four persons — Altaf Shaikh (32), Sony Shah (23), Rihan Shah (22) and Samila Shah (20) — were arrested for Saturday’s assault. They have been booked under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter afrom discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from performing his duty) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons) of the IPC, as well as relevant sections of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Service Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.