Strike in UP hospital after doctors clash with journalists

According to hospital sources, the junior doctors had a row with relatives of a patient who died during treatment in the emergency ward of the hospital.

Several journalists had gone to cover the incident.

The doctors opposed press photographers taking clicking pictures of the row. When journalists opposed this, the doctors allegedly turned violent and attacked journalists with bamboo sticks. They also damaged van of a news channel, police said.

The doctors have lodged a complaint against relatives of the deceased patient for provoking violence, while the journalists have lodged complaint against the junior doctors in Gulariha police station, police said.

District Magistrate Ravi Kumar N.G has ordered an inquiry into the incident and assured journalist that a fair inquiry will be conducted.

Admissions to the emergency and other wards have been paralysed due to the strike. Senior residents and NRHM contract doctors are taking care of the admitted patients.

BRD Medical College Hospital is the main hospital in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The hospital has been treating thousands of encephalitis case.

Over 240 patients have died this year due to the disease in different government hospitals with 228 deaths in BRD-MCH alone. More than 270 encephalitis patients have been admitted to the hospital.

The strike has affected the services of the hospital which is already facing a staff crunch.