Chennai: A government doctor at the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital in Chennai was stabbed multiple times on Wednesday, November 13, by the son of a patient allegedly over grievances regarding the treatment of his mother at the same facility, a hospital official said.
The man assaulted the medical oncologist inside the outpatient room during a conversation regarding his mother’s treatment.
He was immediately apprehended by the hospital staff and handed over to the police, and he was arrested.
What happened
The hospital official said the assailant had been identified as Vignesh, a resident of a suburban neighbourhood and his mother Kanchana was the patient.
The victim, Balaji Jagannathan, is a renowned oncologist and is serving as an associate professor in the medical oncology department in the hospital.
Shedding light on what transpired between the oncologist and the assailant Vignesh, an emergency medicine anesthesiologist told reporters, “Claiming that he wanted to talk about his mother, Vignesh entered the OP room. He closed the from inside and stabbed the doctor in his neck, behind his ear, chest, forehead, on his back, head and stomach. There was huge blood loss. He is a heart patient and has undergone surgery for his heart ailment.”
Since the door was closed it could not be opened immediately and later with the help of security personnel, staff and others, the doctor was brought out.
The injured oncologist, who had also undergone pacemaker implantation, was resuscitated and immediately operated upon by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons.
The victim bled excessively and his medication for his heart ailment is the likely reason for more blood loss. Two units of blood were transfused and all wounds were sutured. “We have to wait and see for another six to eight hours for his recovery; the oncologist is under anaesthesia,” the official added.
The doctor is currently stable, the official said.
Doctors assn call for indefinite strike
Following the attack, the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) announced an indefinite strike and decided not to report to duty except attending to emergency and very critical cases.
“Why should we work when we don’t have security? We have been raising this issue with the government for the past several years but nothing has been done to beef up security within government hospitals,” TNGDA president Dr K Senthil said.
He also appealed to doctors working in private hospitals to join the protests as a mark of solidarity.
Dy CM visits injured doctor
Later in the day, Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was gheraoed by angry doctors when he visited the injured oncologist. He assured the injured doctor is receiving the best treatment and guilty would be punished.
Udhayanidhi said the assailant had been visiting the hospital for six months for treatment of his mother and there was no suspicion about him.
He said, “For half an hour he (Vignesh) had discussed with the doctor. Based on what he was told in a private hospital, he had taken this decision out of anger. Stern legal action will be taken against him and steps will be taken to prevent recurrence.”
As the protest intensified, Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian is set to hold talks with the agitating doctors.
CM Stalin expresses shock
Expressing shock, chief minister M K Stalin ordered a detailed probe and assured all necessary steps would be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.
AIADMK chief and leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami said there was no security for a ‘government doctor in a government hospital,’ and it showed the status of the law and order situation.
(With PTI inputs)
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