Mettupalayam tense after Bengal-like incident

Irate relatives of a woman, who died following an accident, reportedly unleashed the attack on the doctor and nurse alleging negligence in treatment.

According to the police, Rajan (43), a daily wager, and his wife Rukmani (36), were returning on a two-wheeler after visiting a temple, when a lorry reportedly knocked them down on the Mettupalayam-Karamadai Road around 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

The couple was immediately taken to the Mettupalayam GH. After delivering first aid, the woman was referred to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). However, the relatives took her to a private hospital instead, where the doctors referred her back to GH. The woman was, however, declared brought dead upon return at Mettupalayam GH.

Angered by her passing, irate relatives of the woman soon attacked a duty doctor, nurse and another staff at the hospital. They also vandalised medical equipment at the premises and threw away medicines stocked in boxes there, according to sources. The mob also garlanded a signboard announcing the emergency ward and paid their last respects as a mark of protest. They then blocked the road in front of the hospital, disrupting traffic.

The police rushed to the spot and pacified the agitators to withdraw the protest.

Following the incident, doctors, nurses and other administrative staff went on a flash strike condemning the attack. In a show of solidarity, doctors and office-bearers of the doctors’ association in CMCH also joined the protest.

However, this led to hardship for the patients as doctors refused to treat outpatients, who began to queue up in the hospital. Following this, officials from the Health and Revenue department held talks with the protesting doctors, who sought protection for their lives and demanded the arrest of the assaulters.

The police have reportedly identified one of the attackers as Thangaraj (39), a construction labourer, with the help of CCTV footage, and investigations are on to nab others. Meanwhile, the body of the deceased was sent for post mortem at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital.

The alleged attack on doctors comes barely a fortnight after doctors went on a nation-wide strike to express solidarity with their fraternity over the violence unleashed against them in West Bengal.