A major furore erupted over the death of a patient named Saira Bano in the Lari Cardiology centre in Lucknow. After the patient’s death in the Hospital, the angry family members along with 100 other people barged into the Emergency ward and created a ruckus there. Resident doctors had to hide in the bathroom to save themselves from the public fury. After this, the agitated doctors declared strike due to which many patients had to face a lot of difficulties.
The case pertains to KGMU’s Lari Cardiology. Saira Bano, a resident of Khara, was admitted to Lari Cardiology at noon on Friday afternoon. The doctors reported that she had a minor heart attack. Resident doctors of the Lari Hospital gave her emergency treatment and stabilised her, after which she was allowed to leave. However, around at 1:30 AM in midnight, she was again having some trouble. Her family took her to the same hospital but the doctors refused to admit her as the hospital was fully occupied and there was no bed for the patient.
The family of the patient has alleged that Saira Bano died because the doctors refused to admit her in the hospital. Half an hour later, the family members came along with around 100 people of an angry mob who forcibly entered the Emergency ward and started attacking the doctors. Vice-Chancellor Prof MLB Bhatt was informed about the ongoing fracas. Even after the police’s arrival, the mob remained inside the Emergency ward. After great toil, police succeeded in getting the mob out of the Emergency ward and settle the matter.
The Emergency ward of the Lari Hospital didn’t operate for 5 hours as it was held hostage by the mob. The patients coming in for treatment were in profound distress watching the mob taking over the Emergency ward and not letting the doctors do their job. The hospital authorities put up a notice shifting their Emergency services to the Trauma centre. On the other hand, OPD also started late due to resentment among doctors.
Recently, the attack on the NRS Hospital and the Bengal police’s lack of action over the violent mob had led to nationwide protests by doctors who had demanded that the government must ensure the safety of doctors. In West Bengal alone, reportedly, there have been hundreds of attacks over doctors and medical staff in the last few years. The apathy of the TMC government and its appeasement politics were severely criticised by doctors in the state.
Almost all major hospitals and medical colleges had joined the protests against the Mamata government. The protests were only halted after CM Mamata Banerjee visited the doctors personally and assured safety and security at hospitals.
