The family of Mohammad Sayeed, whose death led to violence at the NRS hospital in Kolkata, has alleged that they were beaten up by the doctors and that no action was being taken against them. According to a report in The Indian Express, relatives of the 75-year-old man who lost his life during the course of treatment last Monday, claimed that some of their neighbours have been arrested by police but no action was taken against the guilty doctors who allegedly assaulted them.
On Monday night, Sayeed’s family and a violent mob, at least 200 in numbers, attacked resident doctors at the NRS Medical College in Kolkata. They said that Sayeed died due to medical negligence by the doctors at the state-run hospital. Two intern doctors suffered critical injuries in the incident. One of them suffered a skull fracture and is battling for life his life at a hospital.
Speaking to The Indian Express, the family said that all citizens must get equal access to justice and that the guilty should be punished. “We lost a family member. The doctors also beat us up and the CCTV footage will prove it. Every citizen should have equal access to justice. Five of our neighbours were arrested and are now in jail. What about the doctors? Let the guilty be punished, be it our neighbours or the doctors. We are also aggrieved at the injury of the doctor who might have been hit by a stone. We pray for his speedy recovery. But the strike needs to be lifted too. Thousands of patients are suffering,” said Taiyab Hussain, grandson of the deceased.
After the Monday night violence, junior doctors went on strike demanding protections for them. The situationed worsened further after Mamata Banerjee threatened the doctors with dire consequences if their fail to resume duty within four hours and called them outsides. She even alleged that the BJP has been asking doctors not to treat Muslim patients. The doctors stir has now spread to many states with medical professionals disrupting healthcare services. They are demanding that the demands of their Kolkata colleagues must be fulfilled by Mamata Banerjee. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has even called for a nationwide protest on Monday to protest against Banerjee government’s inaction against the attackers.
According to Hussain, police have so far arrested five persons in connection with the Monday night incident and that his family has lodged a complaint against three doctors. He claimed that the clash was not one-sided and doctors attacked them too, adding that the CCTV footage will reveal the truth.
“We lost a family member and one of us got emotional. One of us might have pulled a hand of a doctor urging him to see the patient. They took it as misbehaviour and heckling. I apologised twice, once in presence of the policemen. But the doctors refused to accept our apology,” added Taiyab.
Mohammad Shabbir, son of the deceased, also pointed out that it was also the duty of the administration to make sure that doctors behave properly with patients and their relatives. They must also understand how one feels when somebody family member dies, he added.
Close to 450 doctors have resigned after the protests. On Satuday, Mamata Banerjee agreed to demands of doctors and asked them to get back to work. While doctors are redy to hold talks with her, they said venue will be decided later.
