Around 800 doctors from Hyderabad’s Gandhi Hospital are boycotting services following a case of alleged assault by family members of a patient. A paediatrician from Gandhi Hospital was allegedly assaulted by the family of a baby who succumbed to her illness on February 26. 

Dr. Karthik was working his shift at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad when a 2-month-old baby was brought in with fever. The baby was known to have a heart condition and was treated as per protocol.

Doctors who assessed the baby noted that she had bronchopneumonia and viral myocarditis and that she was presenting with several complications. They determined that it would be beneficial to intubate the baby, which is when an artificial tube is inserted into the trachea to help with respiration when a patient is unable to do so for any reason.

However, given that the baby was presenting with underlying issues, they knew there would be some risk involved and had explained the same to the family members, who consented to the procedure, doctors said. The baby died at around 6:30 pm on February 26 evening, following which the grandmother allegedly assaulted the duty doctor, Dr. Karthik, and relatives also damaged the furniture in the PICU.

Dr. Karthik has been admitted to the casualty after sustaining bruises and injuries. Following this, around 500 post-graduate doctors and around 350 house surgeons from Gandhi Hospital and Nilofer Hospital in the city have called for a strike and will be shutting down all elective departments.

This story was originally published on The News Minute and is reprinted here with permission. It can be viewed on https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/800-junior-doctors-go-strike-hyd-after-patients-family-assaults-paediatrician-97433